In Depth In the News Program News
Program News Amb. David Johnson Named Senior Adviser
The CSIS Americas Program is pleased to welcome the Honorable David T. Johnson as a senior adviser. Named in May, Johnson comes from a 33-year distinguished career in government, most recently serving as assistant secretary of state for international narcotics and law enforcement affairs (2007–2010). Earlier he was deputy chief of mission to the U.S. Embassy in London and served as the Afghanistan coordinator for the U.S. Department of State. During the 1990s, Johnson was White House deputy press secretary for foreign affairs and spokesman for the National Security Council under President Clinton. Johnson is a member of the UN’s International Narcotics Control Board.
In Depth
Vol. II: Issue 15, June 11, 2012
Argentina: Fernández administration faces increasing heat In late May, thousands of Argentines twice descended upon the streets of Buenos Aires to protest certain aspects of President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner’s administration. The demonstrations were the first of their kind since 2008, and more have reportedly been planned over social media networks in upcoming weeks. In the name of national security, picketers cited inflation and unemployment, problems that have long plagued Argentina and much of Latin America. However, the protestors’ concerns go beyond old, familiar problems. Some anxiety can be traced to lingering memories of the 2001–2002 economic crisis. A week after Fernández de Kirchner was reelected in October 2011, then economic minister and current vice president Amado Boudou announced restrictions for domestic purchases of U.S. dollars in an attempt to stem capital flight. Since then, the black market has valued the U.S. dollar as high as 6.15 Argentine pesos, approximately 37 percent more than the official government exchange rate of ARG $4.49 (as of June 2012). These measures seem a nagging reminder of the run-up to the 2001 collapse, when the peso was allowed to float and then lost 80 percent of its value within a matter of days. Immediately following, the economy contracted nearly 20 percent and unemployment reached some 22 percent. Argentines have not forgotten the hardship. While the late Nestor Kirchner and spouse Cristina have presided over Argentina’s rapid economic growth ever since 2003, cracks in the economy are beginning to show. For now, the April seizure of the YPF petroleum company from Spain’s Repsol has given the government a temporary cash infusion. But that will only go so far. Meanwhile, the latest investment strategy seems to involve attracting foreign oil companies to help develop Argentine shale deposits even though the nationalization news may still be fresh in the minds of company executives. —Samuel Kareff
In the News Regional Nicaragua, Venezuela, Bolivia, and Ecuador withdrew from the Organization of American States (OAS) defense treaty, arguing that it was “no longer useful.” The Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance was once considered an important tool in barring extra-hemispheric actors such as the Soviet Union from creating satellites in the Americas. The same four members also sought to reduce the scrutiny of the OAS’s Inter-American Commission on Human Rights over individual countries. —Tico Times (Costa Rica)
Blog Posts Time to rethink the OAS? Mexico’s Second Presidential Debate: The Race for Second Place Heats Up
Upcoming Events June 18: “Citizen Security in Central America: A Conversation with Aminta Granera, Nicaragua’s Director General for National Police,” CSIS, B1A/B Conference Center, 4– 5:30 p.m. Sign up here.
Upcoming Elections July 1: Mexico’s General Election
Caribbean: Jamaica Jamaican finance minister Peter Phillips announced the reversal of several unpopular tax revisions introduced in late May to boost government revenue. The general consumption tax (GCT) will no longer be applied to animal feed, raw foodstuffs, or certain classes of school textbooks. A proposed tax on international calls remains. —The Gleaner (Jamaica) Haiti The IDB announced a $US15 million grant to support continuing agricultural reform in Haiti. The grant will support the Haitian government’s efforts improve farm productivity, which lags behind much of the region. IDB funds will be supplemented by $7 million donation from the Fund for the Reconstruction of Haiti (HRF). —Le Nouvelliste (Haiti) Central America: Guatemala Guatemala’s deputy minister of the economy María Luisa Flores announced that her government will not negotiate further on a free trade agreement (FTA) with the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries. Instead, it will instead focus on regional agreements, such as the expansion of the FTA with Colombia and separate negotiations with Venezuela, Trinidad and Tobago, Canada, and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). —Prensa Libre (Guatemala) North America: Mexico–U.S. The United States and Mexico announced a new joint program, the Border Safety Initiative that aims to warn potential migrants and citizens living in frontier communities of the pitfalls associated with illegal crossings. This year’s campaign will focus on the dangers of hiring coyotes as guides when making the trek. —Latin American Herald Tribune (Venezuela) South America: Colombia
Hemisphere Insider is produced by the Americas Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a private, tax-exempt institution focusing on international public policy issues. Its research is nonpartisan and nonproprietary. CSIS does not take specific policy positions. Accordingly, all views, positions, and conclusions expressed in this publication should be understood to be solely those of the author(s). © 2012 by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. All rights reserved.
Representatives from the Brazilian aerospace giant Embraer will meet with Colombian officials to finalize plans to build a plant for fabricating cockpit assemblies for Embraer’s new KC-390 tanker/cargo plane in the city of Buenaventura. The estimated US$80 million project could generate more than 800 jobs in Buenaventura and surrounding area. —La República (Colombia) Peru Seeking to double nontraditional export values by the end of the 2012, Peru’s Congress approved a bill to transfer commercial offices—currently in the Ministry of External Relations—to the Ministry of External Trade and Tourism. The bill authorizes the newly designated ministry and 19 commercial offices abroad to craft trade regulations. —El Comercio (Peru) .................. Americas Program Staff: Stephen Johnson, director; Michael Graybeal, program coordinator Senior Associates: Johanna Mendelson Forman, Phillip McLean, Anton Edmunds, Carlos Regúnaga, Christopher Sands, Duncan Wood Senior Advisers: Luis Carlos Ugalde, Amb. David Johnson Adjunct Fellow: Douglas Farah Intern Scholars: Siremorn Asvapromtada, Janae Edwards, Samuel Kareff, Maite Rabelo
The CSIS Americas Program is pleased to welcome the Honorable David T. Johnson as a senior adviser. Named in May, Johnson comes from a 33-year distinguished career in government, most recently serving as assistant secretary of state for international narcotics and law enforcement affairs (2007–2010). Earlier he was deputy chief of mission to the U.S. Embassy in London and served as the Afghanistan coordinator for the U.S. Department of State. During the 1990s, Johnson was White House deputy press secretary for foreign affairs and spokesman for the National Security Council under President Clinton. Johnson is a member of the UN’s International Narcotics Control Board.
In Depth
Vol. II: Issue 15, June 11, 2012
Argentina: Fernández administration faces increasing heat In late May, thousands of Argentines twice descended upon the streets of Buenos Aires to protest certain aspects of President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner’s administration. The demonstrations were the first of their kind since 2008, and more have reportedly been planned over social media networks in upcoming weeks. In the name of national security, picketers cited inflation and unemployment, problems that have long plagued Argentina and much of Latin America. However, the protestors’ concerns go beyond old, familiar problems. Some anxiety can be traced to lingering memories of the 2001–2002 economic crisis. A week after Fernández de Kirchner was reelected in October 2011, then economic minister and current vice president Amado Boudou announced restrictions for domestic purchases of U.S. dollars in an attempt to stem capital flight. Since then, the black market has valued the U.S. dollar as high as 6.15 Argentine pesos, approximately 37 percent more than the official government exchange rate of ARG $4.49 (as of June 2012). These measures seem a nagging reminder of the run-up to the 2001 collapse, when the peso was allowed to float and then lost 80 percent of its value within a matter of days. Immediately following, the economy contracted nearly 20 percent and unemployment reached some 22 percent. Argentines have not forgotten the hardship. While the late Nestor Kirchner and spouse Cristina have presided over Argentina’s rapid economic growth ever since 2003, cracks in the economy are beginning to show. For now, the April seizure of the YPF petroleum company from Spain’s Repsol has given the government a temporary cash infusion. But that will only go so far. Meanwhile, the latest investment strategy seems to involve attracting foreign oil companies to help develop Argentine shale deposits even though the nationalization news may still be fresh in the minds of company executives. —Samuel Kareff
In the News Regional Nicaragua, Venezuela, Bolivia, and Ecuador withdrew from the Organization of American States (OAS) defense treaty, arguing that it was “no longer useful.” The Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance was once considered an important tool in barring extra-hemispheric actors such as the Soviet Union from creating satellites in the Americas. The same four members also sought to reduce the scrutiny of the OAS’s Inter-American Commission on Human Rights over individual countries. —Tico Times (Costa Rica)
Blog Posts Time to rethink the OAS? Mexico’s Second Presidential Debate: The Race for Second Place Heats Up
Upcoming Events June 18: “Citizen Security in Central America: A Conversation with Aminta Granera, Nicaragua’s Director General for National Police,” CSIS, B1A/B Conference Center, 4– 5:30 p.m. Sign up here.
Upcoming Elections July 1: Mexico’s General Election
Caribbean: Jamaica Jamaican finance minister Peter Phillips announced the reversal of several unpopular tax revisions introduced in late May to boost government revenue. The general consumption tax (GCT) will no longer be applied to animal feed, raw foodstuffs, or certain classes of school textbooks. A proposed tax on international calls remains. —The Gleaner (Jamaica) Haiti The IDB announced a $US15 million grant to support continuing agricultural reform in Haiti. The grant will support the Haitian government’s efforts improve farm productivity, which lags behind much of the region. IDB funds will be supplemented by $7 million donation from the Fund for the Reconstruction of Haiti (HRF). —Le Nouvelliste (Haiti) Central America: Guatemala Guatemala’s deputy minister of the economy María Luisa Flores announced that her government will not negotiate further on a free trade agreement (FTA) with the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries. Instead, it will instead focus on regional agreements, such as the expansion of the FTA with Colombia and separate negotiations with Venezuela, Trinidad and Tobago, Canada, and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). —Prensa Libre (Guatemala) North America: Mexico–U.S. The United States and Mexico announced a new joint program, the Border Safety Initiative that aims to warn potential migrants and citizens living in frontier communities of the pitfalls associated with illegal crossings. This year’s campaign will focus on the dangers of hiring coyotes as guides when making the trek. —Latin American Herald Tribune (Venezuela) South America: Colombia
Hemisphere Insider is produced by the Americas Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a private, tax-exempt institution focusing on international public policy issues. Its research is nonpartisan and nonproprietary. CSIS does not take specific policy positions. Accordingly, all views, positions, and conclusions expressed in this publication should be understood to be solely those of the author(s). © 2012 by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. All rights reserved.
Representatives from the Brazilian aerospace giant Embraer will meet with Colombian officials to finalize plans to build a plant for fabricating cockpit assemblies for Embraer’s new KC-390 tanker/cargo plane in the city of Buenaventura. The estimated US$80 million project could generate more than 800 jobs in Buenaventura and surrounding area. —La República (Colombia) Peru Seeking to double nontraditional export values by the end of the 2012, Peru’s Congress approved a bill to transfer commercial offices—currently in the Ministry of External Relations—to the Ministry of External Trade and Tourism. The bill authorizes the newly designated ministry and 19 commercial offices abroad to craft trade regulations. —El Comercio (Peru) .................. Americas Program Staff: Stephen Johnson, director; Michael Graybeal, program coordinator Senior Associates: Johanna Mendelson Forman, Phillip McLean, Anton Edmunds, Carlos Regúnaga, Christopher Sands, Duncan Wood Senior Advisers: Luis Carlos Ugalde, Amb. David Johnson Adjunct Fellow: Douglas Farah Intern Scholars: Siremorn Asvapromtada, Janae Edwards, Samuel Kareff, Maite Rabelo
