What implications might the Trump presidency have on PBI’s accompaniment of human rights defenders?
Still from video of US president Donald Trump’s inauguration speech.
In his inaugural speech today, US president Donald Trump promised that he would sign series of “executive orders” including declaring “a national emergency at our southern border”, beginning “the process of returning millions and millions of criminal aliens back to the places from which they came” (in other words, mass deportations from the US) and “designating the cartels as foreign terrorist organizations”.
MEXICO The Guardian reports that [the United States government] designating Mexican cartels as foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs) “could be the first step towards US military strikes in Mexican territory”. That article adds: “While the designation of cartels as FTOs itself will not authorise US military action in Mexico, some fear it would be the first step towards it. Trump has already suggested bombing drug labs, and has reportedly discussed sending special forces to kill cartel leaders.” PBI-Mexico has previously commented: “The ‘War on Drugs’ [launched in 2006] has resulted in a drastic increase in violence in the country with horrific numbers of human rights violations.”
COLOMBIA Americas Quarterly reports: “Trump is likely to pressure Colombia over an increase in cocaine production and [Colombian president Gustavo] Petro’s Total Peace strategy, leading to increased tension in the relationship between Washington and Bogotá, a possible reduction in military aid and even the threat of economic sanctions.” WOLA adds: “Returning to harmful, ineffective policies that characterized the first years of ‘Plan Colombia,’ like a hardline security approach to combat drugs—which often leads to [human rights] abuses—will not solve the problem of illicit economies.”
GUATEMALA Al Jazeera reports: “Adam Isacson, director for defence oversight at the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), a research organisation [says the Biden Administration] stood firm on [Guatemalan president Bernardo] Arevalo’s election [but now] Trump’s return to power could shift momentum in the other direction. …Some politicians with histories of election denialism, like [Guatemalan special prosecutor Rafael] Curruchiche in Guatemala are cheering someone they perceive to be a kindred spirit. ‘The far right in Guatemala is sharpening its knives right now, because they know they’re going to have friends in the White House,’ Isacson said.”
HONDURAS WOLA has also commented: “We are likely to see ongoing pressure from Republicans in Congress and the administration on President Xiomara Castro in Honduras, given concerns about policies that are impacting U.S. businesses and her ties with Venezuela, Cuba, China, Nicaragua, and other U.S. adversaries.”
Global Witness comments: “The US should have a strong international voice in support of human rights defenders, yet its actions have often fallen short of ensuring their safety. During his previous term, Trump pursued a policy of isolation from international collaboration, including withdrawing from the UN’s Human Rights Council. A return to this approach would send a deeply concerning message that the US is moving backwards in its support of land and environmental defenders who are at-risk from violence, arrest and land invasions.”
For more, read Latin America: War on drugs should not induce war on defenders (Peace Brigades International, the International Service for Human Rights, September 2015).
Other statements with foreign policy implications
The climate crisis: In his inaugural speech, Trump also said he would declare “a national energy emergency.” He added: “We will drill, baby, drill.” Reuters further notes: “Trump will once again withdraw the United States from the Paris climate deal, the White House said on Monday [January 20], removing the world’s biggest historic emitter from global efforts to fight climate change for the second time in a decade.”
LGBTQI+ rights: Trump also stated: “As of today, it will henceforth be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders: male and female.” Human Rights Watch comments: “Trump’s past unwillingness to discuss human rights issues with foreign leaders could prove very harmful to LGBT people abroad.”
Other concerns
The safety of journalists: Article 19 comments: “Trump’s well-documented hostility towards the media is a direct attack on the public’s right to know. During his presidential campaign, Donald Trump openly endorsed violence towards journalists and threatened retribution against media outlets that cover him negatively, including revocation of broadcasting licenses and even jailing reporters. His nominee for the head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation has previously called for the prosecution of journalists.”
Arms sales to repressive regimes: William Hartung, a Senior Research Fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, writes: “The case that makes a mockery of [Biden] administration rhetoric about supporting human rights and a ‘rules-based international order’ is the continued supply of weaponry to Israel… Could a Trump administration be any worse at handing out weapons to repressive regimes and into war zones? …A Trump presidency is good news for weapons contractors who are already awash in funding from the the Pentagon and scores of foreign clients. But to the extent that aggressive arms dealing fuels wars and bolsters dictators, it is terrible news for the rest of us.”
RCMP Black Hawk border patrol helicopters CBC has previously reported: “With U.S. president-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration just days away, the [Canadian] government announced it is sending a slew of drones and two leased Black Hawk helicopters to the shared border to begin beefed-up patrols.” These Lockheed Martin-Sikorsky built helicopters are being used by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and conceivably could also be deployed by the controversial Community-Industry Response Group (C-IRG) in a militarized action against land and environmental defenders.
We continue to follow this.
Photo: Black Hawk helicopters have now been leased and deployed on the border by the RCMP as a direct result of Trump’s statements.
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