The Latin American Report # 375

Donald Trump's imminent return to the Oval Office continues to generate doubts and concerns in certain nations, social groups, and economic sectors. For example, in the border city of Ciudad Juárez, the Republican leader's threats to apply harsh tariffs to Mexican products—as probable retaliation for a lax Aztec policy toward irregular migration and organized crime, but also indirectly related to trade relations with China—have the textile industry on edge. Some reports point out that the anxiety—fueled by the elections in Mexico itself and also in the United States, where Trump's rhetoric had precisely Mexico as the main target in the region—has already had negative effects with the loss of thousands of jobs and dozens of companies.

The call for Robert Lighthizer to resume the position he held during the first Trump administration has done nothing but produce more alarm. “The profiles we have heard are very hermetic, also very aggressive, radical, very strong with all this that Trump has been saying, of closing the border, of working very internally, of his foreign policy also very radical,” says to EFE the leader of a guild representing private commercial interests of groups concentrated in border trade. “We have no other economic model, we all depend on the textile industry, and all the stores and businesses or small and medium-sized enterprises opening [revolve around it],” the representative warns.

Trump planea grandes centros de detención para inmigrantes ilegales previo a su expulsión https://t.co/ZgolK2NZwZ

— el Nuevo Herald (@elnuevoherald) November 16, 2024

Blood has not stopped flowing

Last week, a Catholic church in the state of Veracruz confirmed the death of an altar boy who was shot to death outside it. Another minor also died in the incident, which occurred when hitmen on a motorcycle mercilessly shot both in the village of Entabladero. In the state of Sinaloa, there are already more than 410 intentional homicides following fierce fighting between two factions of the Sinaloa cartel. Last week it was announced that 14 bodies were found in a single day around Culiacán, the capital of the state. The escalation originated shortly after the still confusing arrest of the historic druglord “El Mayo” Zambada in the United States, where he was allegedly kidnapped by one of the sons of “El Chapo” Guzmán, who had planned to surrender to US authorities; President Claudia Sheinbaum insisted with Biden during the G-20 summit that Washington should finish providing all the information on these arrests.

Around 475 people have also been kidnapped in the last two months in Sinaloa. Last weekend, 220 intentional homicides were registered throughout Mexico. Just in Guanajuato, the most violent state in the country, there were 21 murders. On Monday night there, a man was fatally shot in front of his family in the Joya de Castilla neighborhood. Meanwhile, the northern border is a bloody battleground, with casualties reported between police and organized crime agents after intense fighting in recent hours in the state of Tamaulipas. In Sonora, cartel suspects murdered a detective earlier today, Wednesday.

_{Yesterday morning a man was found handcuffed and murdered on the “Benito Juárez” highway in La Costerita, Culiacan (source).}

This 👇 resonated loudly yesterday

Brazilian police uncover military plot to kill Lula before 2023 inauguration https://t.co/EpuMCk1xA0

— Anthony Boadle (@AnthonyBoadle) November 19, 2024

Haiti

The United States has redoubled efforts to ensure that the multinational security mission led on the ground by Kenyan policemen becomes a U.N. peacekeeping force as gangs continue to bite off more pieces of Port-au-Prince. There, even hard-won key facilities such as the airport and port were rendered effectively unusable again amid a new onslaught by the gangs, who now reportedly control 85% of the capital.

_Source

China and Brazil strengthen relations 👇

US agriculture in crosshairs as Brazil and China cozy up https://t.co/FW17BdEzsU pic.twitter.com/11qXT9HOC0

— Reuters (@Reuters) November 19, 2024

New on this 👆.

Cuba cracks more after the impact of nature 👇

Cuban agriculture reels as Hurricane Rafael worsens food shortages https://t.co/YbMekZBKnt pic.twitter.com/Sy8Q0aeryk

— Reuters (@Reuters) November 20, 2024

And this is all for our report today. I have referenced the sources dynamically in the text, and remember you can learn how and where to follow the LATAM trail news by reading my work here. Have a nice day.