1. Venezuela:On1 November,the USDepartmentof State confirmedthe newsthatfive opposition
figureswhohadbeenimprisonedinVenezuelahadbeenreleasedon30 Octoberbut calledforall
political prisonerstobe releasedimmediately.The Executive Secretaryof the oppositioncoalition
Mesa de la UnidadDemocrática(DemocraticUnityRoundtable,MUD) Jesús“Chúo”Torrealbastated
on the same day that thoughitwas a start, theywouldnotbe satisfieduntileverypolitical prisoner
had beenreleased.Furthermore,he affirmedthatthe governmentof Venezuelamustagree ona
newelectoral timetable.He alsoannouncedthatMUD leadershadmetwiththe US UnderSecretary
of State forPolitical AffairsThomasShannon.Torrealbaconfirmedthatduringthe meetingthe main
topicof discussionhadbeenthe currentcrisisinVenezuela,andthatShannonhadreiteratedUS
supportbothfor papal interventionandthe continuationof negotiationsbetweenthe government
and opposition.Shannonhad travelledtoVenezuelaon31 Octoberand had metwithPresident
NicolásMadurothe same day. Maduro statedafterthe meetingthataswell asdiscussionsoverthe
talkswiththe oppositionhe hadspokentoShannonfor“fair”oil pricesand describedthe meetingas
“verypositive”.Shannonistoact as a mediatorbetweenMaduro’s Movimientoal Socialismo
(MovementforSocialism, MAS) governmentandthe opposition aftertalksbegan on31 October
overthe ongoingpolitical crisisinVenezuela.Fourseparate areasof discussionwereoutlined forthe
talks:peace and political stability, humanrightsand compensationforvictims of violence,the
electoral schedule andthe economy. The secondmeetingwill be heldon11 November.
http://www.gobiernoenlinea.ve/home/noticia.dot
http://sumarium.com/alto-diplomatico-de-eeuu-viaja-a-venezuela-para-apoyar-dialogo/
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/dpb/2016/10/263893.htm#VENEZUELA
http://www.diariolavoz.net/2016/11/01/maduro-recibio-shannon/
http://www.panorama.com.ve/politicayeconomia/Subsecretario-de-Estado-Thomas-Shannon-llega-
el-lunes-a-Venezuela-para-apoyar-dialogo-20161031-0049.html
http://www.elnuevoherald.com/noticias/mundo/america-latina/venezuela-
es/article111903302.html
http://www.infobae.com/america/america-latina/2016/11/01/anunciaron-la-liberacion-de-tres-
presos-politicos-en-venezuela/
http://www.efe.com/efe/america/politica/la-oposicion-venezolana-se-reunio-con-el-enviado-de-ee-
uu-para-apoyar-dialogo/20000035-3084235
http://unidadvenezuela.org/2016/11/chuo-torrealba-liberaciones-de-presos-politicos-son-
importantes-pero-no-suficientes/
Mexico:On 31 October,the US Border Patrol announcedthatalongside itsMexicancounterpartsa
newforce has beencreatedtocombat the smugglingof peopleinthe easternborderregion
betweenSanDiegoandthe cityof Tijuana,inan area north of Tijuanaknownas El Nidode Las
Aguilas,orEagle’sNest.More resources,personnel andtechnologywill be deployedtothe areato
combat “multiple smugglingorganisations”identifiedbythe BorderPatrol.Matthew Dreyer,the
commanderof the newunit,statedduringthe announcementthatthese groupsposedathreatto
2. boththe livesof USagentsand migrantsas well asto US national security.The regionisdifficult
terrain,andmigrantsare oftenabandonedbysmugglersnorthof the border,whilstsouthof the
borderextortion,kidnappingandrape iscommon.BorderagentDaniel Parksspoke at the same
time,stressingthatthe problem of peopletraffickingacrossthe US-Mexicobordercanonlybe
confrontedwithclose cooperationbetweenUSand Mexicanauthorities,andthe latest
announcementisasignof this.He statedthat the battle againstthe problemdoesnotplayouton
the borderitself,butinthe areason bothsideswhichmeanscooperationbetweenbothcountriesis
essential.The aimof the newforce is to tackle the problematsource,byidentifyinganddestroying
those groupswhotrafficpeople acrossthe border.
http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/news/2016/10/31/united-states-strengthens-security-california-
mexico-border/
http://www.efe.com/efe/english/world/united-states-strengthens-security-on-california-mexico-
border/50000262-3083876#
http://www.canindia.com/us-strengthens-security-on-california-mexico-border/
http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/entrada-de-opinion/columna/ivonne-ortega-
pacheco/nacion/2016/11/1/migracion-y-derechos-humanos
http://www.cooperativa.cl/noticias/mundo/ee-uu/seguridad/estados-unidos-refuerza-la-frontera-
de-california-con-mexico/2016-10-31/192329.html
Dominican Republic:On1 November,the MinisterforAdministrationof the governmentof the
DominicanRepublic(DR),José RamónPeralta,statedthatitwasfor the Americanpeople todecide
whowill be theirnextPresidentandthatthe DR has no preferenceoropiniononthe matter.The
announcementcomesafteravideoclip emergedpurportingtoshow the currentVice-Presidentand
formerFirstLady (2004-2012) Margarita Cedeñode FernándezexhortingDominicanswiththe vote
inAmericato supportthe Democratcandidate HilaryClinton.Peraltafurtherstatedthathe could
not commentfurtherashe had not seenthe video,andthatwhichevercandidateischosenthe DR
will respectthe decision.Onthe same day,CedeñoreleasedastatementviaherTwitteraccount
statingthat she “cannot be indifferenttothe barbaritiesthatthe Republicancandidate(Donald
Trump) has repeatedtime andagain”.Statingthatit wasa moral issue,she saidcouldnotstandby
as Trump threatenedwomenandminorities,including1.8mpeople withDRorigins,duringhis
campaign.Thoughshe echoedPeralta instatingthatshe wouldrespectthe democraticrightof the
US to electtheirownleader,she statedthatshe couldnotbetrayher valuesbynotspeakingout
againstTrump.
http://www.elcaribe.com.do/2016/11/01/peralta-gobierno-tiene-candidato-favorito-eeuu
http://www.diariolibre.com/noticias/politica/peralta-dice-que-no-tiene-favorito-en-las-elecciones-
de-estados-unidos-MH5328691
http://www.listindiario.com/la-republica/2016/11/02/441550/peralta-dice-eleccion-compete-a-los-
eeuu
3. http://www.listindiario.com/la-republica/2016/11/02/441452/margarita-cedeno-justifica-su-
respaldo-a-hillary-en-un-nuevo-mensaje-en-twitter
Argentina:On 27 October,the Argentine Ministerof ProductionFranciscoCabreraannouncedthat
Argentinawouldbe seekingafree trade deal withthe US.He stateda desire forthe US to become
the primaryinvestorintoArgentinatohelpboostPresidentMauricioMacri’seconomicreforms,and
hopedthatUS$35bn couldbe investedwithinthreeyears,creating25,000 jobs.He highlightedthe
fact that neighbouringChiletradeswith90% of the world’sGDP,whereasArgentinacurrentlyonly
interactswith10%, citingvastroom forgrowth forthe Argentine economy.Thiscame afterthe first
meetingof the Commercial Dialogue US-Argentina,where he metwithhisUScounterpartPenny
Pritzker,whoechoedCabrera’ssentimentsonthe same day.However,itisnotclearwhether
Argentinawouldpursue abilateral deal,ora treatyas part of Mercosur,whichwouldrequire
agreementfromitsmembers.Cabrerastatedthatitwaspossible Argentinawouldre-enterthe
General Systemof Preferencesfromwhichitwasremovedin2012. Duringa private meetingwith
Argentine businessesinWashingtonon27 October,Cabrerastatedthat it couldbe a bilateral deal.
However,laterthatdayCabrera clarifiedhisstatement,sayingthatArgentinawasnotnecessarily
pursuinga free trade deal.He describedthe announcementasa “misunderstanding”.He wentonto
say that whatwas more likelywassimplyasysteminwhichtrade couldbecome more flexible
betweenthe USand Argentina.He statedthatitwas currentlynotlikelythatArgentinawould
suggesteitherabilateral free trade deal ora deal aspart of Mercosur.He affirmedthatthe purpose
of the Commercial Dialoguewastomake progressincommercial relationsthathave sufferedunder
previousgovernmentsandopenmore opportunitiesforinvestmentforUScompanies,acrucial
factor inthe creationof jobsandgrowth inArgentina.The secondmeetingof the Commercial
Dialogue will be heldinMarch 2017, hostedby Argentina.
http://www.thebubble.com/argentina-is-seeking-to-negotiate-a-free-trade-agreement-with-the-us/
https://panampost.com/raquel-garcia/2016/10/28/argentina-and-us-officials-meet-to-discuss-free-
trade-agreement/
http://www.lanacion.com.ar/1950706-el-gobierno-quiere-un-acuerdo-de-libre-comercio-entre-el-
mercosur-y-los-estados-unidos
http://www.telam.com.ar/notas/201610/168484-ministerio-de-la-produccion-francisco-cabrera-
integracion-comercial-con-estados-unidos-mercosur.html
http://www.nodal.am/2016/10/es-muy-importante-ir-hacia-un-acuerdo-de-libre-comercio-con-
estados-unidos-y-queremos-que-este-pais-sea-el-primer-inversor-extranjero-en-la-argentina-
francisco-cabrera-ministro-de-produccion-a/
http://www.diario26.com/index.php?p=notadetalle&idNota=231096
http://www.elpais.com.uy/informacion/frente-mira-desconfianza-acuerdo-ee.html
