The attack on Colombia’s Palace of Justice resulted in one of the country’s most famous massacres. For decades, the public largely believed government claims that it was M-19 Guerillas who killed hostages and nearly half of the Supreme Court.

But new evidence and testimony have come to light that it was actually military intelligence who murdered the majority of both, even torturing some as part of special interrogations, then placing their bodies back in the burnt palace.

As the country’s Truth Commissions uncover more details, a new witness has come forth to support the allegations. Gustavo Petro, who was once a member of M-19, has asked the US State Department to declassify its records about the iconic event.

But perhaps most troubling of all, the episode is a powerful example of the “Dirty War”, then fought across Latin America, and supported by US policy, which resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of people.

PWS, with Adriann Alsema, from Colombia Reports, breaks it all down in this week’s feature story. It’s one of those pieces where the story is just too big for a written feature. It merits an entire podcast.

PWS has edited the original conversation for brevity and story-telling purposes. But if you want to hear the entire conversation, you can do so at Colombia Reports, where it will be published in the coming days.

As media is increasingly bought up by billionaires and the world veers towards authoritarianism, please consider taking out a paid subscription to support independent media

This week’s news feature is a preview of our upcoming podcast season with Adriaan Alsema from Colombia Reports.

Colombian police intelligence likely purchased Israeli software Pegasus during the country’s national strike in 2021, during which police killed over 60 protesters.

The sale was never declared in Colombia, and although the NSO Group, who created Pegasus, broke no laws in Israel, they defied Colombian law by accepting a $13 million payment from an unknown party in the country’s police ranks.

Since the news broke, a software salesman and Israeli citizen from a company associated with the NSO Group was found dead in Medellin in a presumed homicide.

Making matters worse, no one in Colombia even knows who has the weapons-grade spyware, who used it, or where it ended up.

As multiple investigations proceed, they do so in the context of worsening relations between Israel, and leftist President Gustavo Petro in Colombia, who has sharply criticized Israeli actions in their ongoing war in Gaza.

Israel and Colombia dissolved all diplomatic contact last year after Petro accused Israel of committing genocide.

We get into all those details and more in this conversation, which result from independent investigations by both PWS and Colombia Reports.

We hope you enjoy it ‘cause it’s a wild ride!

This episode is free access, but the upcoming season will be released immediately only for paid subscribers. Please consider taking out a subscription to support our work. We have plans that start at just $5/month

*An earlier version of this story incorrectly reported the sum as $30 million. We regret the error*

In case you missed our breaking news coverage of Pegasus in Latin America you can catch up here.

We will be back to the normal format next week and hope to launch the new complete podcast series for paid subscribers in mid-October.

Hasta Pronto, piratas!

Protests over U.S. funding of the Israeli war in Gaza, originally organized at Columbia University in New York City, have spread to more than 40 campuses. Police crackdowns, including the deployment of the National Guard against students in Texas, have inspired outrage, and likely helped fuel support for a movement that seems for the moment to be spreading across the country.

But media bias in protest coverage, as well as rhetorical attacks by politicians on the protesters themselves got us thinking about the parallels to social movements we’ve seen here in Colombia (with an “o” not a “u”). So we reached out to Richard McColl, who runs the country's most popular English language podcast, Colombia Calling, and our piratical companion and sometimes contributor here at PWS, Adriaan Alsema of Colombia Reports, together for a dream team explainer on the phenomenon.

States often follow a playbook when delegitimizing protests they find inconvenient, and this movement has been no exception. Structural problems inherent to the legacy media model also skew coverage towards official sources, often leaving out the voice of protesters entirely.

So what does Colombia have to do with Columbia? More than you might imagine, and we break it all down in the audio version of this week’s feature story.

We’ve edited down the original 35-minute analysis to just 13 minutes, which is what we’ve published here. Both Colombia Calling and Colombia Reports will publish the full “director’s cut” later this week.

We’ll be back to a written feature next Friday for those who prefer their news in print. In the meantime, we’re still working on a new season of feature podcasts for paid subscribers. Thanks again for listening/reading, mateys.

Y hasta pronto!

Welcome back Piratas!

Yesterday the Venezuelan government banned presidential primary opposition candidate María Corina Machado from office for 15 years, sparking international condemnation.

Recent polls show right-wing Machado’s popularity on the rise— she is currently leads a crowded field of 14 candidates vying to challenge socialist President Nicolás Maduro in the 2024 election.

The latest survey by Caracas-based firm ORC Consultores showed her with 46.4% of voter intention, a 10% gain since the beginning of the year.

In the decision, Venezuela’s Comptroller office stated that a previous ban imposed because Machado supported sanctions by the United States on the Maduro government and backed former opposition leader Juan Guaido, will now be extended.

Even leaders who have been friendly towards the Maduro government, such as Petro Gustavo in Colombia, have criticized the decision.

It’s a complex subject, and one of the things to do at PWS is break down the context and nuance that often gets missed by the big media companies. To that end we reached out to Caracas journalist and political analyst Tony Frangie Mawad to talk about what this means for ongoing sanctions, how the opposition is likely to respond and why Machada, often called MCM within Venezuela, has been banned.

And it was a fascinating conversation.

Last week a German tourism company that offers $4000 USD tours of the Darien Gap —the most dangerous migration corridor in the Americas— elicited a firestorm of criticism.

Some journalists erroneously claimed that the company, which provides guides and helicopter evac in case of a medical emergency, was profiting from and exploiting migration, which has expanded radically in recent years and has claimed hundreds of lives.

In order to examine the dynamic further, we invited Jordan Stern, a photographer who has crossed the gap and long covered migration from various countries in South and Central America, to explain what he thought.

From his point of view, the programs say more about the criminalization of migration in general and the governments who have forced migrants into life-threatening situations than it does about the insensitivity of European tour companies.

But that’s not the say the dynamic isn’t without problems.

Avast, me hearties! 

I don’t know about you but we’re greeting the weekend like a marooned man greets a passing ship.

Before we get onto the news, there’s a brief update. For the past three months, we’ve been sending you a weekly podcast episode on everything from crypto-ponzi schemes in Argentina to migrants at the US-Mexico border. But creating high-quality reported audio journalism is complex and time-consuming. Podcasts by major media companies are often the work of a team of people, but we often produce ours on our own, in addition to our day jobs, with a little voiceover assistance from our co-pirates. 

To give the Pirate Wire Services podcast the love and care it deserves, we’re going to try releasing the podcast in seasons: instead of publishing short weekly updates, after today the podcast will take a two-month break while we work on a season to be released in September, for our one-year anniversary. Until then, we’ll keep sending out the newsletter, with extra written stories to make up for the lack of a podcast.

Don’t forget: if you’ve been enjoying our work, paid subscriptions start from just US$5 per month!

For this week’s podcast episode, Josh takes a look at the new report from the Colombian truth commission., which has created waves for it’s finding on the civil war, and had powerful ramifications for the current administration.

“If you wanted a business competitor gone, all you had to do was talk with the paramilitaries sipping coffee at a Bogotá mall. If you lost a ton of cocaine to the police, they could it back for you,” said the report over connections between the government and armed groups.

We explore that and more in the podcast linked above!

Stories we’re watching:

The government of Ecuador and leaders of indigenous groups reached an agreement yesterday to end the national strike in protest against the economic measures of right-wing president Guillermo Lasso. Initially triggered by rising fuel prices, the strikes began on 13 June, and involved widespread roadblocks. The demonstrations were led by the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (Conaie) and left at least 6 dead and around 500 injured, including protesters and police officers. A key point of the agreement was a $0.15 per gallon reduction in the price of subsidized fuels (Ecuador uses the US dollar). Initially, the indigenous groups demanded a $0.40 reduction.

In Colombia, at least 51 prison inmates have died and dozens have required medical attention after a riot in a prison in the city of Tuluá, in the Cauca Valley department. According to the prison director, most of the victims lost their lives after inhaling smoke from a large fire caused by the burning of mattresses during the riot. Outgoing Colombian President Iván Duque lamented the deaths, described the event as a "terrible situation", and expressed his solidarity with the victims’ families. President-elect Gustavo Petro echoed these sentiments and pointed out that "the Colombian State has viewed prison as a space for revenge and not for rehabilitation." He added that these events "force a complete rethinking of prison policy."

Brazilian President Jair Bolosnaro announced on Monday his intention to offer political asylum to former Bolivian interim president Jeanine Áñez. She was sentenced to 10 years in prison for violating the constitutional order by proclaiming herself president in 2019, after controversial electoral fraud allegations, violent protests and loss of military and police support forced the resignation of incumbent president Evo Morales. Bolsonaro reportedly discussed the issue with other Latin American leaders and has stated that he will follow through with the asylum if the Bolivian government agrees. However, the Bolivian Minister of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday described the Brazilian president's offer as "impertinent", adding: “[his comments] interfere inappropriately in internal affairs, they do not respect the forms of relations between states and they do not coincide with the relations of good neighborliness and mutual respect between Brazil and Bolivia."

On Monday, the bodies of 48 people and 16 others in a critical condition were found in and around a truck in the city of San Antonio, Texas. Five more individuals died over the next two days. The victims were mostly Mexican and Central American migrants attempting to reunite with loved ones or seek a better life in the United States. At least five of the 67 trafficked passengers were minors. According to the investigations, it is the deadliest case of human trafficking in recent US history. Investigations are still under way, but the migrants had been transported with no water or ventilation in temperatures of up to 40°C. Currently, the driver Homero Zamorano and three other Mexican citizens are being prosecuted in court for the deaths of the migrants.

What we’re reading:

* On Colombia’s Truth Commission Report: this long read, this podcast, and this blogpost (a few years old but still good) on differing attitudes towards the FARC and paramilitary groups.

* The US is sending officials to Venezuela for more talks - to understand the context on that, check out our recent podcast episode about whether the States would start buying Venezuelan oil again

What we’re writing:

* Ex-FARC women search for the disappeared in Colombia, by Daniela and Josh for NACLA

Spanish words of the week

* dominadas (fpl) - pull-ups. Amy’s hand-stands teacher was talking about “dominadas” for breakfast and she assumed it might be some kind of pastry. Boy, was she in for a surprise.

* zarandear (verb, transitive) - to shake. But not like a pisco sour. A person. And not usually in a good way.

Noticias castellanas

El gobierno de Ecuador y los líderes de grupos indígenas llegaron ayer a un acuerdo para poner fin al paro en protesta contra las medidas económicas del presidente derechista Guillermo Lasso, las cuales se iniciaron el pasado lunes 13 de junio e implicaron el bloqueo de rutas. Las manifestaciones estuvieron encabezadas por la Confederación de Nacionalidades Indígenas de Ecuador (Conaie) y dejaron un saldo de al menos 6 muertos y alrededor de 500 heridos entre protestantes y agentes policiales. Entre los puntos acordados por ambas partes, el más relevante es el relacionado con el precio del combustible, unas de las principales causas de las manifestaciones. Al respecto, el gobierno acordó una rebaja de 15 centavos de dólar por galón para los combustibles subsidiados. En un inicio, los grupos indígenas demandaban una reducción de 40 centavos.

Al menos 51 reclusos fallecieron y varias decenas ha requerido atención médica tras un motín ocurrido en una prisión en la ciudad de Tuluá, en el departamento colombiano del Valle del Cauca. Según el director de la prisión, la mayoría de las víctimas perdieron la vida por inhalación de humo producido por un gran incendio ocasionado por la quema de colchones en medio del motín. El presidente de Colombia, Iván Duque, lamentó las muertes, calificó el hecho como una “terrible situación” y expresó su solidaridad con las familias de las víctimas. Además de expresarse en la misma línea, el presidente electo, Gustavo Petro, señaló que “el Estado colombiano ha mirado la cárcel como un espacio de venganza y no de rehabilitación”. Añadió que este hecho “obliga a un replanteamiento completo de la política carcelaria”.

El presidente de Brasil, Jair Bolosnaro, anunció el lunes su intención de ofrecer asilo político a la exmandataria de Bolivia Jeanine Áñez. Ella fue condenada a diez años de cárcel por haber violado el orden constitucional al autoproclamarse presidenta en 2019, luego de que las fuerzas armadas y policiales obligaran la renuncia de Evo Morales. Bolsonaro habría conversado sobre el tema con otros líderes latinoamericanos y ha manifestado que efectuará el asilo siempre y cuando el Gobierno de Bolivia esté de acuerdo. Sin embargo, el ministro de Relaciones Exteriores del país altiplánico calificó de “impertinente” la oferta del presidente brasileño. “[Sus declaraciones] son absolutamente impertinentes, hacen una inapropiada injerencia en asuntos internos, no respetan las formas de relacionamiento entre estados y no coinciden con las relaciones de buena vecindad y respeto mutuo entre Brasil y Bolivia”, cuestionó el martes.

Un camión con 48 personas fallecidas y otras 16 moribundas fue hallado el lunes en la ciudad de San Antonio, Texas. Dos días después, las víctimas ascendieron a 53. Según las investigaciones, se trataría del caso de tráfico de personas más mortífero en la historia reciente de los Estados Unidos. Las víctimas, que estuvieron sometidas a condiciones de encierro y altas temperaturas, son de nacionalidades mexicana, hondureña, guatemalteca y salvadoreña. Además, se informó que al menos cinco de los 67 pasajeros traficados eran menores de edad. Actualmente, el chofer Homero Zamorano y otros tres ciudadanos mexicanos están siendo procesados en tribunales por la muerte de los migrantes.

News ahoy! 

It’s Saturday, (yeah, we're a little late, sorry, Piratas) and even though most stories reach the Good Ship Capybara via a message in a bottle, we’ve got plenty of updates for you today.

Last Sunday, Colombians voted in a second round of presidential elections that saw leftist ex-mayor of Bogotá and former M19 militant, Gustavo Petro, elected to the top job. His vice president is the trailblazing Afrocolombian environmental activist, Francia Márquez. In this week’s podcast, Daniela looks at Ecuador, where Amnesty International has sounded the alarm over a “human rights crisis” as protests are met with brutal repression by the security forces. Indigenous protesters, unions and social groups have been on national strike since 13 June, protesting rising food and fuel prices. At least two people have died so far and there are widespread reports of injuries. President Guillermo Lasso declared a state of emergency last Friday suspending freedom of transit, assembly and association.

In case you missed it, here’s a round-up of our Colombian election coverage lately:

* Francia Márquez gave us a written interview about her candidacy and activism (click for Spanish or English)

* Do last year’s protests and this year’s election mean Colombia is finally moving on from the violent legacy of far-right president Uribe? By Josh for paying subscribers (hint hint)

OK, onto the news.

* A judge in Brazil is facing investigation after she blocked an 11-year-old rape victim from having an abortion and separated the girl from her family. Abortions are legal only in cases of rape and risk to the pregnant person’s life in Brazil. The family had taken the girl’s case to court after medics refused to perform the procedure on the grounds that she was 22 weeks pregnant, claiming that the 20-week threshold recommended by the national health ministry was a legal limit, rather than a recommendation. Brazil is holding elections in October and with elective abortion legalized in regional neighbours Argentina and Colombia since late 2020, the procedure could become a campaign issue.

* In Honduras, businessman Roberto David Castillo has been sentenced to 22 years in jail for ordering the 2016 assassination of environmental activist, Berta Cáceres. The environmentalist was leading protests against the construction of a dam by Castillo’s company, Desa, which would have destroyed large swathes of the lands of the indigenous Lenca people.

* A major Brazilian drug trafficker has been caught in Hungary after faking his own death by forging a certificate saying he’d died of COVID.

* This week in badass Colombian women, engineer Diana Trujillo has been named a flight director at NASA, where she will supervise the Artemis mission to the moon and missions to the International Space Station. She arrived in the US when she was 17 with USD300 and no English, and her first objective was “to not die of hunger”, she told CNN.

What we’re reading/watching

* On the note of the Berta Cáceres trials, the dam company executives who ordered the murder of Honduran environmental activist Berta Cáceres in 2016 may have paid for the hit with money received from Dutch investment bank FMO via offshore Deutsche Bank accounts in New York. Our friend Jared Olson published a brilliant investigation for The Intercept following the money 

* Horrifying, but not surprising: some of the tens of thousands of young men rounded up as part of El Salvador’s State of Exception, which the president claims is necessary to crack down on gangs, have come home in coffins: Anna-Cat Brigida reports

* In Venezuela, priests convicted of abuse have returned to ministry

* This is a great overview of the Argentine right’s likely presidential candidates ahead of next year’s elections from País de Boludos, delivered in the mellifluous machine-gun tones achievable only by a Buenos Aires native on his fourth jarrito of coffee

* Self-described drug policy nerd and VICE World News Latin America editor, Deborah Bonello, gave a one-hour Instagram live on what Petro’s election in Colombia might mean for the cocaine trade

What we’re writing

* The Pan-American Health Organization will elect a new leader in September. Amy spoke to the nominees about the most pressing health issues in the Americas for The Lancet

Spanish words of the week

Oh, and please hit us with your best Shakira puns!

Noticias castellanas!

* En el podcast de esta semana, Daniela analiza el caso de Ecuador, donde Amnistía Internacional ha dado la voz de alarma respecto de una "crisis de derechos humanos", debido a las protestas en las que manifestantes indígenas se enfrentan a una brutal represión por parte de las fuerzas de seguridad. Los protestantes de pueblos originarios más sindicatos y grupos sociales están en huelga nacional desde el 13 de junio, en protesta por el aumento de los precios de los alimentos y el combustible. Hasta el momento, han muerto al menos dos personas y se han registrado numerosos heridos. El presidente Guillermo Lasso declaró el estado de excepción el pasado viernes, suspendiendo la libertad de tránsito, de reunión y de asociación.

* Una jueza en Brasil enfrenta una investigación tras impedir que una niña de 11 años, víctima de una violación, acceda a un aborto y permanezca con su familia. En Brasil, el aborto solo es legal en caso de violación y riesgo para la vida de la embarazada. La familia había llevado el caso de la niña a los tribunales después de que los médicos se negaran a realizar el procedimiento, alegando que estaba embarazada de 22 semanas y que el umbral de 20 semanas recomendado por el Ministerio de Sanidad era un límite legal y no una recomendación. Brasil celebra elecciones en octubre y, dado que el aborto electivo está legalizado en sus vecinos regionales Argentina y Colombia desde finales de 2020, el procedimiento podría convertirse en un tema de campaña.

* En Honduras, el empresario Roberto David Castillo ha sido condenado a 22 años de cárcel por ordenar el asesinato en 2016 de la activista medioambiental Berta Cáceres. La ecologista lideraba las protestas contra la construcción de una represa por parte de Desa, empresa de Castillo, que habría destruido grandes franjas de las tierras del pueblo indígena Lenca.

* Un importante narcotraficante brasileño ha sido capturado en Hungría tras fingir su propia muerte falsificando un certificado que decía que había muerto de COVID.

* Esta semana, la ingeniera Diana Trujillo fue nombrada directora de vuelo en la NASA, donde supervisará la misión Artemis a la Luna y las misiones a la Estación Espacial Internacional. Ella llegó a Estados Unidos con 17 años, 300 dólares y sin saber inglés, y su primer objetivo fue "no morir de hambre", dijo a la CNN.

Lo que estamos leyendo/viendo:

* A propósito de los juicios de Berta Cáceres, los ejecutivos de la empresa de represas que ordenaron el asesinato de la activista ambiental en 2016 podrían haber pagado el crimen con dinero recibido del banco de inversión holandés FMO, a través de cuentas offshore del Deutsche Bank en Nueva York. Nuestro amigo Jared Olson publicó una brillante investigación para The Intercept siguiendo la ruta del dinero.

* Horroroso, pero no sorprendente: algunas de las decenas de miles de jóvenes detenidos en el marco del estado de excepción de El Salvador, que el presidente califica como necesario para acabar con las pandillas, han vuelto a casa en ataúdes: informa Anna-Cat Brigida.

* En Venezuela, los sacerdotes condenados por abusos han vuelto al ministerio.

* Este es un gran resumen de los posibles candidatos presidenciales de la derecha argentina de cara a las elecciones del año que viene, elaborado por País de Boludos. 

* Deborah Bonello, autodenominada nerd de las políticas sobre drogas y editora de VICE World News para América Latina, ofreció un directo de Instagram de una hora sobre lo que la elección de Petro en Colombia podría significar para el comercio de la cocaína.

Lo que estamos escribiendo:

La Organización Panamericana de la Salud elegirá un nuevo líder en septiembre. Amy habló con los candidatos sobre los problemas de salud más urgentes en las Américas y publicó al respecto en The Lancet.

Como siempre, deslizáte para abajo para leer todo en castellano.

Hola Piratas!

This week was an especially chaotic one in Latin America. Joshua and Daniela are buried under a mountain of electioneering pamphlets and deadlines as they scramble to cover the end of a fractious and dramatic presidential race in Colombia.

Amy and Paulo, recently recovered from the plague, have resumed full-time duties aboard our privateer vessel in search of ever more hard-hitting stories from the front lines of indy journalism.

In this week’s Pirate Wire Services podcast, Amy looks at Generación Zoe, a crypto ponzi scheme under the guise of a trading “university” that scammed thousands of people out of their savings in Argentina and beyond. It all ended in a dramatic manhunt in the Caribbean - check out the podcast to hear more.

And now the big stories this week in Latin America!

The News:

The 10-day search for journalist Dom Phillips and Indigenous specialist Bruno Pereira came to a tragic conclusion late Wednesday in Brazil, when the primary suspect in the case confessed to killing the pair. He then led officials to a remote location where human remains were found. Brazilian police swiftly tried to take credit for solving the case despite the fact that it was indigenous search groups who found the presumably guilty suspect. 

In comments to the media, President Bolsonaro blamed Phillips himself for the horrific event, saying both men were “unprepared” for the field mission, although they had been carrying out important work in the region for years, and that Phillips was “not well liked” by criminal groups and public forces there.

Last week at Pirate Wire Services, we talked about the history of state ineptitude, neglect and possibile complicity with criminal endeavors in the region where Pereira and Phillips were killed. 

Just after you received your message in a bottle last week, Bolivia’s ex interim president Jeanine Áñez was sentenced to 10 years in prison over charges that she came to power via a coup. The charges relate to the dark period following the forced resignation of long-term president Evo Morales after controversial electoral fraud allegations in late 2019. It’s a divisive verdict in Bolivia: many feel the former president deserves to end up behind bars for a whole host of misdeeds, including grave human rights violations, corruption, and her shaky route to power. But others feel it was a political trial whose outcome was a forgone conclusion. They’re asking why she faced an ordinary trial rather than a trial of responsibilities, a special procedure to try former presidents in Bolivia. Others say the verdict doesn’t deliver justice to victims of massacres perpetrated by the security forces on her watch. To understand the arguments in greater depth, check out Amy’s NACLA piece from the start of the trial.

Indigenous communities in Ecuador implemented a “national strike” on Monday over rising fuel prices and gasoline subsidy cuts. The government responded by arresting one of the leaders of the Indigenous Federation CONAIE, Leonidas Iza. President Guillermo Lasso denounced blockades set up by protesters on highways around the country, announcing in public comments that measures were being undertaken to carry out  “the detention of the intellectual authors of these violent acts”

Student groups as well as some labor organizations joined the protests shortly afterwards, which have now blockaded streets in the capital of Quito. Fuel prices have risen sharply in recent weeks in Ecuador, which is still recovering from a deep Covid-induced recession.

The last time Indigenous protesters marched on the capital in 2019, then-president Lenin Moreno was forced to flee the seat of government and withdraw the economic austerity policies that sparked the uprising.

Voters head to the polls Sunday to choose a new president in Colombia. Gustavo Petro, of the leftist coalition Pacto Histórico faces off against…well…whatever Rodolfo Hernandez represents. Polls currently put the construction magnate and ex-mayor of Bucaramanga in a statistical tie with Petro. Both campaigns have suggested the voting process may be plagued with fraud, causing considerable worry that the loser may not respect the results in the case the race is close, which is very likely.

Over fears of election violence, Colombia has deployed 30,000 troops to guard polling stations. Police also arrested more than 20 activists Wednesday on charges related to last year's protests. Police said they were investigating Primera Linea protesters for “plotting violence on election day”. As evidence, police cited an anonymous twitter account with 94 followers that was created in March. It is unclear how that has anything to do with arresting more than 20 people for charges dating back more than a year. We are confused as well, dear reader. We are sorry we can’t explain this bizarre story better. 

Civil rights watchdog groups called the move “a clear attempt at intimidation.” Whoever wins the election will face a divided populace and a decaying peace accord.

What we’re writing:

Daniela and Joshua published an in-depth look at the humanitarian challenges the next president in Colombia will face for The New Humanitarian. The rising power of criminal armed groups, a fraying peace accord, increased narco-trafficking and economic recession have left nearly a fifth of the country in need of some kind of immediate humanitarian aid.

They also talked with vice-presidential candidate Francia Marquez about what it means to be an environmentalist in the most dangerous country in the world for land defenders in a piece for Sierra Magazine.  

What we’re reading:

This fabulous piece for Americas Quarterly by María Esperanza Casullo takes a detailed look at what skyrocketing inflation may mean for present and future governments in Argentina. “It would be an understatement to say that Argentina has a pathological relationship with inflation…but inflation has not always represented a political problem. Now it does,” she writes. And that problem may be existential for the politicians who have to confront it. 

The Guardian’s environment correspondent Jonathan Watts describes Dom Phillips and Bruno Pereira as victims in the front lines of the war on the environment in this moving comment piece.

Spanish words of the week:

* comicios (mpl) elections, polls or ballot

* urna (f) ballot box, urn 

¡Noticias Castellanas!

La búsqueda del periodista Dom Phillips y el investigador Bruno Pereira que se extendió por diez días del tuvo un final trágico el pasado miércoles en Brasil, cuando el principal sospechoso en el caso, confesó haber asesinado y desmembrado al par de hombres. Luego, dirigió a los funcionarios a un lugar remoto donde se encontraron restos humanos. La policía brasileña rápidamente intentó tomar el crédito por resolver el caso, pasando por alto el hecho de que fueron los grupos indígenas quienes dieron con el presunto asesino. 

En comentarios a la prensa, el presidente Bolsonario culpó al propio Phillips por el trágico hecho, argumentando que el par de hombres no estaban suficientemente preparados para el reportaje en campo, pese a que ambos profesionales tenían una experiencia de años en la región, además, apuntó a que Phillips “no era del agrado” de los grupos criminales y de la fuerza pública. La semana pasada en Pire Wire Services, ahondamos un poco en este caso, repasando a partir de las voces de expertos, la historia de esta zona y la posible complicidad de las bandas criminales en el asesinato del periodista y el investigador. Puedes leer la historia que escribió Paulo, aquí. ___

La expresidenta interina de Bolivia, Jeanine Áñez, fue sentenciada a 10 años de prisión bajo cargos por llegar al poder a través de un golpe de estado. Los cargos se relacionan con el período oscuro que siguió a la renuncia forzada del presidente de largo plazo, Evo Morales, luego de controvertidas acusaciones de fraude electoral a fines de 2019. Es un veredicto que divide a Bolivia: muchos sienten que la expresidenta merece terminar tras las rejas por una gran cantidad de fechorías, incluidas graves violaciones de derechos humanos, corrupción y su cuestionado camino hacia el poder. Pero otros sienten que fue un juicio politizado cuyo resultado era una conclusión inevitable. Se preguntan por qué enfrentó un juicio ordinario en lugar de un juicio de responsabilidades, un procedimiento especial para juzgar a expresidentes en Bolivia. Otros dicen que el veredicto no hace justicia a las víctimas de las masacres perpetradas por las fuerzas de seguridad bajo su mandato. Para comprender los argumentos con mayor profundidad, consulte el artículo de NACLA que escribió Amy al principio del juicio.

Las comunidades indígenas en Ecuador iniciaron un “Paro Nacional” el pasado lunes debido al incremento en el precio del combustible y los recortes de los subsidios a la gasolina.El gobierno por su parte respondió arrestando a Leonidas Iza, uno de los líderes de la una de las organizaciones indígenas más importantes del país CONAIE. El presidente Guillermo Lasso denunció los bloqueos que realizan los manifestantes en las carreteras y anunció que se están tomando medidas para “la detención de los autores intelectuales de estos hechos violentos”. Estudiantes, así como algunas organizaciones sindicales, se sumaron poco después a las protestas, que ahora se han tomado las calles de la capital, Quito.

La última vez que manifestantes indígenas realizaron un paro de esta magnitud fue en 2019, fue cuando el entonces presidente Lenín Moreno, se vio obligado a huir de la sede del gobierno y a retirar las políticas de austeridad económica que provocaron el levantamiento._____

Por otro lado, los votantes acuden a las urnas el domingo para elegir un nuevo presidente en Colombia. Gustavo Petro, de la coalición de izquierda Pacto Histórico, se enfrenta a bueno, al misterioso proyecto político que encarna Rodolfo Hernández. Actualmente, las encuestas colocan al magnate de la construcción y exalcalde de Bucaramanga en empate estadístico con Petro. Ambas campañas han sugerido que el proceso de votación puede ser susceptible a fraudes, lo que genera una preocupación considerable frente a que el perdedor no respete los resultados en caso de que los resultados tengan un margen estrecho, lo cual es muy probable.

Por temor a violencia electoral, Colombia ha desplegado 30.000 soldados para proteger los colegios electorales. La policía también arrestó a más de 20 activistas el miércoles pasado por cargos relacionados con las protestas del año pasado. La policía dijo que estaba investigando a los manifestantes de llamada ‘Primera Línea’ por “planear actos de violencia el día de las elecciones”. Como prueba, la policía citó una cuenta de Twitter anónima con 94 seguidores que se creó en marzo. No está claro cómo eso tiene algo que ver con el arresto de más de 20 personas por cargos que datan de hace más de un año. Nosotros también estamos confundidos, querido lector. Lamentamos no poder explicar mejor esta extraña historia.

Organizaciones defensoras de Derechos Humanos calificaron la medida como “un claro intento de intimidación”. Finalmente, quien sea que gane las elecciones se enfrentará a una población dividida y un Acuerdo de Paz en decadencia.¿Qué estamos escribiendo?

Daniela y Joshua publicaron un reportaje a profundidad sobre los desafíos humanitarios que enfrentará el próximo presidente en Colombia para el medio suizo, The New Humanitarian. El creciente poder de los grupos criminales armados, un Acuerdo de Paz que se está desgastando, el aumento del narcotráfico y la recesión económica han dejado a casi una quinta parte del país con la necesidad de algún tipo de ayuda humanitaria inmediata.

También conversaron con la candidata a la vicepresidencia Francia Márquez sobre lo que significa ser ambientalista en el país más peligroso del mundo para los defensores del medio ambiente en este artículo para Revista Sierra Club. 

¿Qué estamos leyendo?

Esta fabulosa pieza para Americas Quarterly de María Esperanza Casullo analiza en detalle lo que la inflación vertiginosa puede significar para los gobiernos presentes y futuros en Argentina. “Sería un eufemismo decir que Argentina tiene una relación patológica con la inflació, pero la inflación no siempre ha representado un problema político. Ahora lo hace”, escribe. Y ese problema puede ser existencial para los políticos que tienen que afrontarlo.

Por otro lado, el corresponsal ambiental de The Guardian, Jonathan Watts, describe a Dom Phillips y Bruno Pereira como víctimas en la primera línea de la guerra contra el medio ambiente en este conmovedor comentario.

Shiver me timbers, it’s Friday!

Today, we’re marooned. Spiritually, professionally, and piratically. It’s been one of those weeks.

Our podcast this week is a deep dive into who the next possible president of Colombia may be. Rodolfo Hernandez pulled off an upset in the first round and may be headed to the highest office in the land. We spoke with three experts about what that could mean for the future.

Before we get going with the news, Pirate Wire Services needs your support! This project represents around a day of work a week for four experienced journalists across two countries. We have dreams for the podcast, but at the moment it’s still mostly a labour of love, and without financing, it’s extremely difficult to grow. You can take paid subscriptions from as little as US$5 per month. The paid version includes exclusives such as our fortnightly Ship’s Log series, and we’re considering launching more perks including explainers and photography. Sign up at our Substack page. Don’t forget we’re also on Spotify, Twitter, and as of this week, Facebook. 

Our readership survey is open for one more week - thanks to those of you who have responded so far, your feedback is extremely helpful!

This week, Amy is paying tribute to Octorina Zamora, a Wichí woman who made groundbreaking progress fighting for Indigenous rights, especially for women and girls, in northern Argentina. Following a long stretch in hospital, her daughter Tujuayliya wrote to say that Octorina had passed away early on Wednesday morning. Earlier this year, she had played an instrumental role in organizing for 30 Indigenous women to file a report with the authorities demanding that the fathers of their children recognize their relationship to the children, many of whom were conceived as a result of rape. 

Many would describe Octorina as an activist, a leader, or a fighter, a woman who fought back against threats and violence to demand justice for her people. But she shrugged off all these honorifics and insisted on describing herself as simply a Wichí woman. Her passing is a great loss to her community and the Indigenous struggle in Argentina. Amy interviewed her for The Guardian and a tribute to her is available in Spanish here.

Sadly, this week there’s more bad news from Brazil. At least 106 people have been killed in floods and landslides in the city of Recife, in the north-eastern state of Pernambuco. Local authorities estimate around 6,198 people have lost their homes across the state’s 24 municipalities, which have declared a state of emergency following torrential rains. Meteorologists told local media that the downpours are a result of a climate phenomenon known as “Waves from the East”, in which rain clouds from Africa reach Brazil.

Chile’s Minister of the Interior, Izkia Siches, will tell president Gabriel Boric on 9 June whether she recommends continuing the State of Exception in the southern region known as Macrozona Sur. The measure involves military intervention in the region’s roads, in response to violence being committed in the context of a conflict between the Chilean state, large businesses, and groups demanding Indigenous sovereignty in the region. Siches highlighted a reduction in violent incidents in the zone. During a recent speech, Boric said that although these measures “don’t solve the underlying problem”, in the future he will not hesitate “to make use of these measures so that all those who live in our territory can travel safely”. 

This Thursday, Amnesty International presented a report on El Salvador’s State of Exception detailing at least 30 cases of “mass human rights violations”, violations of judicial due process and arrests made without evidence. In March, Salvadoran president Nayib Bukele decreed a State of Exception following a wave of murders. An investigation by El Faro revealed the slaughter to be retaliation for a breakdown in a deal the government had made with the country’s gangs. To date, the authorities say they have detained around 35,000 people they allege are linked to gangs, or “maras”, as they are known locally.

What we’re reading:

Carole Concha Bell’s piece in NACLA gives a brilliant analysis of Boric’s State of Exception and the struggle for Indigenous rights in southern Chile, pushing back against prevailing discourse that attacks in the region are all committed by Mapuche activists and highlighting the connivance between police and private security.

Anna-Cat Brigida’s detailed Al Jazeera story shows that many of the young men arrested as part of El Salvador’s State of Exception are being detained simply to fulfill quotas

“Sadly, their importance is tied to their willingness to operate on a shoestring budget and to put themselves in harm’s way on their own dime”: Briana Ellis-Gibbs’s piece on the precarious conditions of conflict photographers rings true to the PWS crew

This Twitter thread on how Rodolfo Hernández, Colombia’s presidential frontrunner, is taking up the discourse of “interior commotion” used by former President Uribe in the early 2000s, which was used to legitimate massive human rights abuses at the time

Noticias castellanas¡Es viernes! Pero hoy estamos acabados: Espiritualmente, profesionalmente y piratamente. Ha sido una de esas semanas.

* Antes de continuar con las noticias, ¡Pirate Wire Services necesita tu apoyo! Este prpoyecto representa más de una semana de trabajo para cuatro periodistas de diferentes países. Tenemos sueños para el podcast, y otras secciones más, pero hasta el momento es más un labor por amor, y sin financiamiento es muy difícil crecer. Recuerda que puedes suscribirte pagando solo US$5 por mes. La versión paga incluye exclusivas como nuestra serie Ship's Log quincenal, además, estamos considerando lanzar más beneficios, incluidos explicaciones sobre temas coyunturales y galerías fotógraficas. Registrate en nuestra página de Substack. También estamos en Spotify, Twitter y, a partir de esta semana, Facebook.

* Nuestra encuesta de lectores está abierta por una semana más. ¡Gracias a aquellos que han respondido hasta ahora, sus comentarios son extremadamente útiles!

Esta semana, Amy rinde un homenaje a Octorina Zamora, una mujer Wichí que hizo un progreso innovador en la lucha por los derechos de los indígenas, especialmente de las mujeres y las niñas, en el norte de Argentina. Después de un largo período en el hospital, su hija Tujuayliya escribió para decir que Octorina había fallecido la madrugada del miércoles. A principios de este año, jugó un papel fundamental en la organización de 30 mujeres indígenas que presentaron un informe ante las autoridades exigiendo que los padres de sus hijos reconozcan su relación con los niños, muchos de los cuales fueron concebidos como resultado de una violación.

Muchos describirían a Octorina como una activista, una líder o una luchadora, una mujer que luchó contra las amenazas y la violencia para exigir justicia para su pueblo. Pero se encogió de hombros ante todos estos honores e insistió en describirse a sí misma simplemente como una mujer wichí. Su fallecimiento es una gran pérdida para su comunidad y la lucha indígena en Argentina. Amy la entrevistó para The Guardian y un tributo a ella está disponible aquí.

A su vez, la situación en Brasil no parece mejorar. Hasta el momento, se cuentan al menos 106 fallecidos a causa de las inundaciones y deslizamientos de tierra que azotaron la ciudad de Recife, ubicada en el estado nororiental de Pernambuco. Las autoridades locales calculan que unas 6.198 personas se quedaron sin hogar en los 24 municipios del estado que se declararon en emergencia a causa de las lluvias torrenciales. Según meteorólogos citados en medios locales, las precipitaciones son causadas por un fenómeno climatológico denominado Ondas del Este, que consiste en el arribo a territorio brasilero de nubes de lluvia provenientes de África.

En Chile, se anunciaron novedades respecto al estado de excepción en la Macrozona Sur. La ministra del Interior, Izkia Siches, afirmó que el próximo 9 de junio recomendarán al presidente Gabriel Boric si se debe mantener o no la medida, que actualmente implica la intervención de militares en las rutas de dicho territorio a causa de atentados presuntamente perpetrados por grupos que reclaman la soberanía de distintos pueblos originarios. En tanto, la ministra destacó la reducción de hechos de violencia en la zona. Por su parte, el presidente Boric, durante su primer discurso anual de cuenta pública, se refirió a este tema y señaló que, si bien este tipo de medidas “no resuelve el problema de fondo”, a futuro no vacilará “en hacer uso de estas herramientas para que, justamente, todos quienes habitan nuestro territorio puedan transitar por él con seguridad”.

En marzo, el presidente de El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, decretó el estado de excepción a causa del incremento de homicidios, en el marco de una guerra de pandillas o maras, como se les conoce en Centroamérica. Desde ese momento hasta ahora, las autoridades locales han anunciado haber detenido alrededor de 35 mil personas presuntamente vinculadas a los grupos criminales. Sin embargo, Amnistía Internacional presentó este jueves un informe en el que documentó al menos 30 casos en los que se habrían demostrado “violaciones masivas de derechos humanos”, violaciones al debido proceso judicial y detenciones realizadas sin evidencias.

¿Qué estamos leyendo?Carole Concha Bell escribió una brillante pieza de análisis para NACLA sobre el Estado de excepción de Boric y la lucha por los derechos indígenas en el sur de Chile. En este ánalisis se contrapone el discurso predominante de que los ataques en la región son cometidos por activistas mapuches, destacando la complicidad entre la policía y la seguridad privada.

Esta historia detallada de Anna-Cat Brigida para Al Jazeera, muestra que muchos de los jóvenes arrestados como parte del Estado de Excepción de El Salvador están detenidos simplemente para cumplir con las cuotas del Gobierno.

“Lamentablemente, su importancia está ligada a su voluntad de operar con un presupuesto reducido y de ponerse en peligro por su propia cuenta”: se lee en el artículo de Briana Ellis-Gibbs sobre las precarias condiciones de los fotógrafos de conflictos. Lo que nos suena muy familiar al equipo de PWS.

Por otro lado, en este hilo de twitter se evidencia cómo uno de los candidatos a la presidencia de Colombia, Rodolfo Hernández y su discurso sobre la declaratoria de Conmoción Interior, ya fue usada por el expresidente Álvaro Uribe en los dosmil y cómo ésto se uso para legimitar numerosas violaciones de derechos humanos en el país. 

Ahoy! It’s been a labor intensive week for the PWS crew as presidential elections near in Colombia, which is what we’re talking about in this week's podcast!

Amy and Paulo are well on the road to recovery after  involuntary Covid vacations. Daniela and Joshua meanwhile are hunkered down in Bogotá hoping that a tense election weekend passes without incident.

This week in the headlines in Latam!

In terrible scenes in Brazil, 26 people were killed on Tuesday in the Rio de Janeiro favela of Vila Cruzeiro during a police operation to capture drug traffickers from the “Comando Vermelho” gang. The group is allegedly responsible for over 80% of shootouts in the city. The authorities claim that the deaths were due to confrontations between the police and criminals. However, the Comptroller’s Office and Human Rights Ombudsman have questioned the official account. “Currently, the legality of the operation is under investigation and the proportionality in the use of force, the high lethality, lead us to suspect that a massacre may have been committed,” the institutions said in a statement. President Jair Bolsonaro congratulated the officers involved, in what Human Rights Watch described as a message of impunity. Black Brazilians are disproportionately likely to be killed by the police.

A 66-year-old Mapuche man has been killed and at least two others suffered bullet wounds after a group of hooded attackers ambushed a bus carrying around 30 forestry workers in southern Chile. This comes a week after the government of Gabriel Boric declared a state of emergency and a military intervention in the region in response to the crime and attacks taking place in the context of a conflict over Indigenous peoples’ legitimate demands. President Boric said: “We will not tolerate violence being imposed as a conflict resolution method.”

On Thursday, Peru’s congress approved a censure motion against the Labour Minister, Betssy Chávez, after questions were raised about how she handled a strike by air traffic controllers during Holy Week. The motion was approved with 71 votes, including not just the right-wing and centrist opposition parties, but also President Pedro Castillo’s ruling Perú Libre party. Chavez, who will have to present her resignation within 72 hours of the vote, is the second of Castillo’s ministers to be censured so far. Over 50 people have passed through his Cabinet in the 10 months since he became president.

What we’re writing:

* Josh wrote this primer on the Colombian elections for NACLA and this analysis of what the polls mean for the peace process for Preemptive Love. Both are expertly illustrated with Daniela’s photography.

* Amy submitted her master’s thesis, but you can’t read it yet. Like a true pirate she has to defend it. She’s sharpening her cutlass as we speak.

What we’re reading:

* This story about a Bolivian student leader who allegedly stayed enrolled at a public university for 32 years so he could keep his state salary of around US$3,000 per month may not be the most profound thing you’ll read this week. But Discworld fans will appreciate the strong Rincewind energy. And it gives Amy comfort to know there’s someone out there taking longer to graduate than her.

Spanish words of the week:

* sabandijas (fpl): Vermin

* sangría francesa (f): Because why have a hanging indent on your publication when you could have a FRENCH BLEED? We’re open to reader submissions for the most needlessly dramatic typesetting term, but we don’t think you’re going to beat this

Noticias Españolas

Terrible escenario en Brasil: 25 personas murieron el martes en un complejo de favelas de Río de Janeiro, en medio de una operación policial que pretendía la captura de narcotraficantes del ‘Comando Vermelho’, un importante grupo criminal que sería responsable de más del 80% de enfrentamientos armados en Río de Janeiro. Según las autoridades, las muertes se debieron a los enfrentamientos entre policías y delincuentes. Sin embargo, desde la Contraloría y la Defensoría Pública local han cuestionado el operativo. “Hasta el momento se está investigando la legalidad de la operación y la proporcionalidad en el uso de la fuerza, la alta letalidad levanta la sospecha de que pudo haber sido cometida una matanza”, han expresado ambas instituciones en un comunicado.

El Congreso de Perú aprobó el jueves una moción de censura contra la ministra de Trabajo, Betssy Chávez, a raíz de cuestionamientos sobre el manejo de una huelga de controladores aéreos ocurrida durante la pasada Semana Santa. La censura se aprobó con 71 votos, entre los cuales, además de las bancadas de oposición de derecha y centro, se contaron votos del oficialismo de Perú Libre, el partido del presidente Pedro Castillo. Chávez, que deberá presentar su renuncia en un plazo de 72 horas, es la segunda ministra censurada en lo que va de mandato. Sin embargo, se suma a los más de 50 nombres que han formado parte del Gabinete Ministerial en 10 meses.

 A una semana de que el gobierno de Gabriel Boric decretara un estado de emergencia y una intervención militar acotada en la zona del macrosur en Chile —a causa de los delitos y atentados que ocurren en el contexto de los reclamos legítimos de los pueblos originarios—, se reportó un ataque perpetrado por un grupo de encapuchados contra un autobús en el que viajaban unos 30 trabajadores forestales. El atentado dejó un saldo de tres heridos de bala y un muerto, un trabajador de 66 años de origen mapuche. Sobre este hecho, el presidente Boric señaló: “No vamos a tolerar que la violencia se imponga como método de resolución de conflictos”.