Peru’s government declared a national state of emergency yesterday. The move suspended the rights of assembly and freedom of transit, among other civil liberties, for 30 days. It will be enforced by national police, with the support of the military.

The declaration also empowers the police to search people’s homes without permission or judicial order. It comes just before the Christmas holidays, when many travel extensively to visit family, reports the Guardian.

The move comes after a week of protests, in which at least eight people have died. Demonstrators are calling for the release of former president Pedro Castillo, and early elections. But, more broadly, they are pushing back agains the perceived ouster of a poor, rural, leftist leader by the Lima political elite. (Reuters, see yesterday’s post.)

The measure had not been used this widely since the 1990s, when Peru was brutalized by the Shining Path terrorist group, reports the New York Times.

More Peru

• A Peruvian judge postponed a hearing to determine whether Castillo would remain jailed for 18 months while authorities build a rebellion case against him, after Castillo refused to participate. (Associated Press)
  
  
• In a handwritten letter, Castillo asked the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to intercede for his “rights and the rights of my Peruvian brothers who cry out for justice.” (Associated Press)

Haiti

• The ongoing collapse of the Haitian state and the severity of the country’s humanitarian emergency justify preparations for an international force aimed at restoring security. “But its deployment should hinge on adequate planning to operate in urban areas and support from Haiti’s main political forces, including their firm commitment to work together in creating a legitimate transitional government,” argues the International Crisis Group.

Regional Relations

• Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro said he will fully open the border crossings with Colombia starting Jan. 1. (Associated Press)
  
  
• Brazilian president-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has signaled he will seek to repair relations with Venezuela’s Maduro goverment, reports Al Jazeera.

Brazil

• Brazil’s electoral court is investigating outgoing President Jair Bolsonaro, his running mate and some allies in congress for allegedly casting doubt on the result of the October election and abusing their power during the campaign. (Bloomberg)

Migration

• Groups of migrants crossing through Mexico to the U.S. tell of mass kidnappings — “are a stark reminder of the dangers faced by migrants as they travel across Mexico, crisscrossing areas rife with drug violence and weak rule of law,” reports Reuters.

Mexico

• Mexican President¡ Andrés Manuel López Obrador has called on Bad Bunny to give a free concert in Cdmx after hundreds of fans were locked out of the Puerto Rican rapper’s sold-out show last weekend thanks to a Ticketmaster debacle, reports the Guardian.

Argentina

• A prison sentence handed down earlier this month to a Castedo Clan leader in Argentina has revealed the extent of his family clan’s connections with corrupt state representatives around Salta province, reports InSight Crime.

Mundial

• Watching World Cup matches from Maradonna’s former house is one of the hotter (and weirder) tickets in Buenos Aires this month, according to the New York Times.

Jordana Timerman / Latin America Daily Briefing
http://latinamericadailybriefing.blogspot