The Big Headlines in LATAM
Earthquakes in Colombia and Venezuela are defining the future of politics. Are Delcy's negotiations with opposition more than a show? Meanwhile ADELE looks more like a kitten than "el tigre"
Colombia’s “Tiger” looks like more of a kitten as he bungles earthquake response
An earthquake that struck Colombia last week has left more than 240 dead, though that number is still expected to rise as many rural areas on the Western coast remain out of contact due to collapsed power and internet. Three thousand 800 people remain missing.
Colombia’s brand-new President, Abelardo De la Espriella, has been harshly criticized for the government response to the disaster. The right-wing firebrand, who had been in office only a few days when the earthquake struck, had appointed no personnel to Colombia’s disaster-response agency, nor many key Ministry positions.
He cancelled traditional power-transfer procedures usually initiated by outgoing presidents after his predecessor, Gustavo Petro, declined to recognize his election victory.
The confusion led to delayed responses and poor communication in the hours and days immediately following the disaster. Residents in the Pacific, as well as the city of Cali, have expressed anger at the actions he has taken, including handing out T-shirts from his election campaign and footballs to those whose houses have been destroyed.
Reconstruction will be costly, and for de la Espriella — who promised to massively reduce state spending — disaster response presents a critical challenge to his political agenda.
Perhaps more importantly, however, are those left homeless in areas of the Pacific coast that have long been neglected by the central government in Bogotá. Anger is building, especially in Chocó, a predominantly African-Colombian department where De la Espriella had little electoral support.
“The Tiger” is looking more like a kitten as he scrambles to recover, but mini-scandals keep surfacing, such as photos of his Housing Minister on vacation in Santa Marta as affected residents dig through the rubble of their destroyed homes.
After a razor-thin victory margin in elections, de la Espriella already had a questionable mandate. He may have already ruined his slim opportunities for a honeymoon.
Venezuelan negotiations
The Venezuelan government says they are releasing 131 political prisoners as part of talks with opposition politicians about reforms and possible elections. It is unclear what else negotiations involve, but a statement from the government alluded to judicial reforms of a court that Maduro packed with loyalists while he was in power.
Both sides committed to “initiate a process that contributes to the transformation of the justice system”, including “Reforms to the Organic Law” of Venezuela’s top court, the Supreme Tribunal of Justice (TSJ).
The government of interim-president Delcy Rodriguez has faced increased pressure after its own bungled response to earthquakes more than a month ago. Though Trump has made clear he supports the Rodriguez presidency, domestic politicians, including in her own party, have ramped up criticism of her administration in recent weeks.
It isn’t completely clear what concrete results, if any, the current negotiations will yield. More than 200 political prisoners remain jailed, and the government has often used releases as a bargaining chip.
Both sides also agreed to request that funds long frozen by the Bank of England be released for use in earthquake reconstruction. The twin earthquakes have left at least 6,000 people dead.
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Thank you , Josh, very informative. I have seen a number of Instagram reels of people berrating ADLE for his presidential campaign-style response in Quibdó for turning up with footballs inscrawled with the word, “Patria” on them.