Podcast appearances and mentions of maureen meyer

USAID se encuentra en el limbo. Tras el congelamiento de fondos anunciado por el presidente estadounidense Donald Trump, el magnate Elon Musk como responsable del Departamento de Eficiencia Gubernamental, afirmó que la Agencia de los Estados Unidos para el Desarrollo Internacional debía cerrarse. Por su parte, el jefe de la diplomacia Marco Rubio precisó que pasaría bajo el control del Departamento de Estado, aboliendo la independencia de dicho programa impulsado por el exmandatario John Kennedy en 1961. El congelamiento de fondos de ayudas a otros países, anunciado por el Gobierno de Donald Trump tiene en la incertidumbre a varias organizaciones, pero sobre todo a la Agencia de los Estados Unidos para el Desarrollo Internacional (USAID) que cuenta con un presupuesto de 42.800 millones de dólares destinados a ayuda humanitaria y a asistencia al desarrollo en todo el mundo.Para el mandatario estadounidense esta pausa de tres meses es necesaria para comprobar si el gasto responde a los intereses del país, pero según Maureen Meyer, Vicepresidenta para programas de la Oficina en Washington para Asuntos Latinoamericanos (Wola) para Latinoamérica, dicha decisión es contraproducente para la política extranjera de Washington.“Otra parte del apoyo es justamente para la lucha contra el narcotráfico a nivel global y en América latina también. El freno de programas de cooperación implica que en Colombia no puedan volar los aviones, que son justamente para operativos contra el narcotráfico en el país. En México ya no habrá tanta cooperación para el combate contra el fentanilo”, explicó Meyer, quien asegura que es contradictorio con los planes anunciados por el Gobierno de Trump de “no solamente buscar cómo frenar la migración y atender y obligar a los países a recibir a sus personas deportadas, pero también otros áreas de prioridad de Estados Unidos como la lucha contra el narcotráfico”, indicó.Meyer también señala que una de las preguntas que se plantean es “si esos países van a buscar otros donantes más fiables, incluyendo a China y otras partes del mundo, que justamente sería contrario a los intereses de Estados Unidos”.¿Es posible cerrar USAID?Otra de las amenazas contra el organismo vino desde el patrón de Tesla Elon Musk, que ahora está también al mando del Departamento de Eficiencia Gubernamental y tiene la tarea encomendada por Trump de reducir los gastos del Gobierno. Musk indicó este lunes que USAID debía cerrarse, pero según Meyer, esto no es tan fácil, pues ya los integrantes del partido Demócrata han resaltado que es ilegal y que dicha decisión debe pasar por el Congreso.“USAID fue creado en 1961 por una Ley de apoyo exterior y tendría que pasar por el Congreso la autorización de cualquier cambio grande o cierre de USAID. Estamos frente a una situación muy preocupante con un Gobierno de Trump que no tiene respeto a los procedimientos y tampoco a las propias leyes que han establecido en el Congreso”, indicó.USAID fue creada como agencia independiente en 1961 bajo el mandato del expresidente John F. Kennedy, quien consiguió la aprobación del Congreso de la Ley de Ayuda Exterior. El consideraba que el Departamento de Estado era burocrático en la gestión de la ayuda en el extranjero, por lo que debía crearse una forma más eficiente de contrarrestar la influencia soviética en medio de la Guerra Fría con Estados Unidos.El congelamiento de fondos tiene a varios proyectos en vilo, miles de empleados fueron despedidos y según Meyer, se teme que algunas organizaciones, que dependen de USAID, “no logren sobrevivir” así se reanude el presupuesto más adelante.La agencia financia programas sanitarios y de emergencia en unos 120 países y es considerada una importante fuente de poder blando para Estados Unidos con el fin de contrarrestar la influencia de rivales como China.

En EEUU, las deportaciones de migrantes durante el año fiscal 2024 alcanzaron niveles récords desde 2014. Superan incluso los años del primer mandato de Donald Trump que, sin embargo, ha acusado a los demócratas de ser débiles en la lucha contra la inmigración ilegal. ¿Cómo se explica el aumento de las deportaciones? Con más de 271.000 migrantes deportados a su país de origen, la administración del presidente estadounidense, Joe Biden, que concluirá a principios de enero, alcanzó una cifra récord en una década, superando el pico de deportaciones de 2019 bajo el primer mandato de Donald Trump.Un récord que se debe, según Maureen Meyer, vicepresidenta para Programas en el Centro de análisis Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), a una mayor cooperación de los países de donde proceden los migrantes."La mayoría de estos migrantes proceden de México, Guatemala, El Salvador y Honduras. Los países centroamericanos son los que han aceptado un mayor número de vuelos de deportación. Hay una voluntad de estos países de aceptar más gente y también en ese sentido, el Gobierno de Biden lleva mucho tiempo tratando de negociar con países que han sido más reticentes a aceptar a sus conciudadanos", explica a RFI. Donald Trump promete aumentar todavía más las deportaciones Para su segundo mandato, Donald Trump prometió la deportación más importante de la historia. Sin embargo, el presidente republicano se topará con varios obstáculos logísticos y legales, recalca Maureen Meyer."Actualmente no tiene los recursos necesarios para poder costear el número de deportaciones que quiere llevar a cabo porque se necesitan muchos más agentes, no hay espacio suficiente en los centros de retención para alojar a tantas personas antes de su regreso a su país, implica muchos fondos para financiar el lado logístico", explica Meyer. "No se sabe si se van a hacer redadas pero hay mucha implicación económica", y es que la mayoría de los  indocumentados trabajan en sectores muy importantes como la agricultura o la construcción. Si algunos estados conservadores como Texas cooperan con las deportaciones, otras entidades federales como California, Illinois o Maryland limitan la cooperación con Washington porque consideran que los inmigrantes, aunque indocumentados, ocupan empleos que desdeñan los estadounidenses.

En EEUU, las deportaciones de migrantes durante el año fiscal 2024 alcanzaron niveles récords desde 2014. Superan incluso los años del primer mandato de Donald Trump que, sin embargo, ha acusado a los demócratas de ser débiles en la lucha contra la inmigración ilegal. ¿Cómo se explica el aumento de las deportaciones? Con más de 271.000 migrantes deportados a su país de origen, la administración del presidente estadounidense, Joe Biden, que concluirá a principios de enero, alcanzó una cifra récord en una década, superando el pico de deportaciones de 2019 bajo el primer mandato de Donald Trump.Un récord que se debe, según Maureen Meyer, vicepresidenta para Programas en el Centro de análisis Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), a una mayor cooperación de los países de donde proceden los migrantes."La mayoría de estos migrantes proceden de México, Guatemala, El Salvador y Honduras. Los países centroamericanos son los que han aceptado un mayor número de vuelos de deportación. Hay una voluntad de estos países de aceptar más gente y también en ese sentido, el Gobierno de Biden lleva mucho tiempo tratando de negociar con países que han sido más reticentes a aceptar a sus conciudadanos", explica a RFI. Donald Trump promete aumentar todavía más las deportaciones Para su segundo mandato, Donald Trump prometió la deportación más importante de la historia. Sin embargo, el presidente republicano se topará con varios obstáculos logísticos y legales, recalca Maureen Meyer."Actualmente no tiene los recursos necesarios para poder costear el número de deportaciones que quiere llevar a cabo porque se necesitan muchos más agentes, no hay espacio suficiente en los centros de retención para alojar a tantas personas antes de su regreso a su país, implica muchos fondos para financiar el lado logístico", explica Meyer. "No se sabe si se van a hacer redadas pero hay mucha implicación económica", y es que la mayoría de los  indocumentados trabajan en sectores muy importantes como la agricultura o la construcción. Si algunos estados conservadores como Texas cooperan con las deportaciones, otras entidades federales como California, Illinois o Maryland limitan la cooperación con Washington porque consideran que los inmigrantes, aunque indocumentados, ocupan empleos que desdeñan los estadounidenses.

Mexicans are preparing to vote in the largest elections in the country's history. The Latin American nation is grappling with rising violence and several candidates have been killed during the campaign. What's behind the political violence in Mexico and the region? In this episode: Carlos Bravo Regidor, Political analyst.  Maureen Meyer, Vice President, Programs, Washington Office on Latin America. Falko Ernst, Senior Analyst on Mexico, International Crisis Group.  Host: Cyril Vanier Connect with us:@AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

In today's episode, we head to the border and below to examine the root causes and circumstances that factor into immigration patterns, from economic opportunity to asylum. Max speaks with Maureen Meyer from The Washington Office on Latin America, known as WOLA, a D.C. based organization that advocates for human rights in the Americas. Meyer serves as WOLA's Vice President for Programs, working with senior staff to develop policy priorities and strategies to advance human rights and social justice in Latin America. We're still following the blended episodic and Phone A Friend approach for this series, so Max begins with a brief discussion about the complex nature of immigration policy and the historical relationship between the United States and Latin America. Chapters Intro: 00:00:36 Episode Section: 00:03:30 Interview: 00:21:20 Resources WNYC: WNYC's Suds & Civics project brings political dialogue to laundromats across the NY metro area American Immigration Council: CBP One: An Overview Pew Research Center: Migrant encounters at U.S.-Mexico border hit record high at end of 2023 Human Rights Watch: Venezuela: Events of 2023 Migration Policy Institute: Shifting Patterns and Policies Reshape Migration to U.S.-Mexico Border in Major Ways in 2023  The Baffler: Enigmas of Ecuador | Pablo Ospina Peralta  WhiteHouse.gov: FACT SHEET: The United States and Central America: Honoring Our Commitments Forbes: 2024: A New Age For Venezuela-U.S. Relations  Gobierno de Mêxico: México y Venezuela estrechan cooperación en materia migratoria El País: United States reactivates mass deportations of Venezuelans to relieve pressure on the border with Mexico  Council on Foreign Relations: Central America's Turbulent Northern Triangle  Council on Foreign Relations: Climate Change and Regional Instability in Central America  Congressional Research Service: Central American Migration: Root Causes and U.S. Policy  Vice: The Violence Central American Migrants Are Fleeing Was Stoked by the US Time: Welcome to the Immigration Election  Pew Research Center: How Americans View the Situation at the U.S.-Mexico Border, Its Causes and Consequences Brookings: The collapse of bipartisan immigration reform: A guide for the perplexed The Hill: Manchin: Failed border bill factored into decision not to run for White House DW News: Ecuador raid on embassy in Mexico Yahoo Finance:Border crisis might be boon for economy  WOLA: Migration in the Americas: 'A root causes strategy only for Central America falls far short of addressing the type of migration we are seeing' Congressional Budget Office: Director's Statement on the Budget and Economic Outlook for 2024 to 2034  WOLA -- If you like the pod version of #UNFTR, make sure to check out the video version on YouTube where Max shows his beautiful face! www.youtube.com/@UNFTR Please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts: unftr.com/rate and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @UNFTRpod. Visit us online at unftr.com. Join the Unf*cker-run Facebook group: facebook.com/groups/2051537518349565 Buy yourself some Unf*cking Coffee® at shop.unftr.com. Subscribe to Unf*cking The Republic® at unftr.com/blog to get the essays these episode are framed around sent to your inbox every week. Check out the UNFTR Pod Love playlist on Spotify: spoti.fi/3yzIlUP. Visit our bookshop.org page at bookshop.org/shop/UNFTRpod to find the full UNFTR book list, and find book recommendations from our Unf*ckers at bookshop.org/lists/unf-cker-book-recommendations. Access the UNFTR Musicless feed by following the instructions at unftr.com/accessibility. Unf*cking the Republic® is produced by 99 and engineered by Manny Faces Media (mannyfacesmedia.com). Original music is by Tom McGovern (tommcgovern.com) and Hold Fast (holdfastband.com). The show is written and hosted by Max and distributed by 99. Podcast art description: Image of the US Constitution ripped in the middle revealing white text on a blue background that says, "Unf*cking the Republic®."Support the show: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/unftrSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As congressional negotiations place asylum and other legal protection pathways at risk, and as we approach a 2024 election year with migration becoming a higher priority for voters in the United States, we found it important to discuss the current moment's complexities. WOLA's vice president for Programs, Maureen Meyer, former director for WOLA's Mexico Program and co-founder of WOLA's migration and border work, is joined by Mexico Program Director Stephanie Brewer, whose work on defense of human rights and demilitarization in Mexico has focused often on the rights of migrants, including a visit to the Arizona-Sonora border at the end of 2023. This episode highlights some of the main migration trends and issues that we should all keep an eye on this year, including: Deterrence efforts will never reduce migration as long as the reasons people are fleeing remain unaddressed (the long-standing “root causes” approach). Such policies will only force people into more danger and fuel organized crime. “The question is not, are people going to migrate? The question is, where, how, and with who?”, explains Brewer. For this reason, maintaining consistent and reliable legal pathways is more important than ever, and the ongoing assaults on these pathways—including the right to seek asylum and humanitarian parole—are harmful and counterproductive. There can't be a one-size-fits-all solution for the variety of populations currently in movement, and the focus should no longer be on ineffective policies of deterrence and enforcement. “It's a long term game that certainly doesn't fit on a bumper sticker for political campaigns,” Meyer points out. Organized crime is a huge factor in regional migration—both as a driver of migration and as a facilitator. Official corruption and impunity enable these systems, a point that migration policies often fail to address. Brewer notes that during her trip to Arizona's southern border in December 2023, the vast majority of migrants she spoke to were Mexican, and among them, the vast majority cited violence and organized crime as the driving factor. In recent months, Mexican families have been the number one nationality coming to the U.S.-Mexico border to seek asylum. It is a regional issue, not just a U.S. issue, as people are seeking asylum and integration in many different countries. Mexico, for instance, received 140,000 asylum applications in 2023. This makes integration efforts extremely important: many people arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border had attempted to resettle elsewhere first. “It's a twofold of the legal status itself, but then real integration efforts that are both economic and educational, but also addressing xenophobia and not creating resentment in local communities,” explains Meyer.

Will the Bombings in Iran Following Yesterday's Killing of an Hamas Official Spark a Wider War? | House Republican Grandstanding as They Weaponize Immigration | The Root Causes of The Human Flow From Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Mexico and Around the World Host: Ian Masters Producer: Graham FitzGibbon Assistant Producer: Evan Green

RFI entrevistó a Maureen Meyer, vicepresidenta de programas del think tank WOLA en Washington, sobre los autobuses con migrantes que fueron abandonados delante de la residencia de la vicepresidenta estadounidense Kamala Harris en Washington. 'Es un mensaje político de los republicanos que no tiene en cuenta las vidas humanas', advierte. La feroz tormenta invernal que azota Estados Unidos desde la semana pasada ha dejado al menos 50 muertos, incluyendo casos de personas que fueron encontradas en bancos de nieve, en sus coches o que fallecieron por paro cardiaco mientras quitaban la nieve. Además, este lunes la Casa Blanca acusó al gobernador de Texas, Greg Abbott, de poner en peligro las vidas de varias personas, pues autobuses cargados con más de un centenar de migrantes fueran dejados cerca de la casa de la vicepresidenta Kamala Harris en Washington. Ya se está volviendo costumbre en Estados Unidos ver llegar buses llenos de migrantes a lugares gobernados por demócratas o estrechamente relacionados con el presidente Joe Biden y su vicepresidenta Kamala Harris. Los tres buses dejaron a las 100 personas entre los que había niños, en medio de la calle donde se sentía una temperatura de casi menos 8 grados centígrados. "La llegada de migrantes al frente de la casa de la vicepresidenta Harris es una táctica política que han utilizado algunos gobernadores, sobre todo el de Tejas, Abbott, para enviar un mensaje político al gobierno federal”, explica Maureen Meyer, vicepresidenta de programas del think tank  WOLA en Washington". Para esta analista, sin embargo, estas tácticas también suscitan inquietud. "Aparte del hecho de que son principalmente un golpe mediático, y que no se tiene en cuenta en absoluto a los migrantes, el problema radica en que estas llegadas de migrantes se hacen sin dar ningún aviso a las personas que los van a recibir. Tampoco hay claridad sobre cuándo van a llegar. Todo ello complica mucho las cosas porque no se sabe cuántos voluntarios se necesitan para recibirlos, qué necesidades tienen las personas y cuál es su destino final. Hay que resaltar también que las organizaciones de voluntarios de la zona de Washington sí llevan desde marzo y abril pasado atendiendo a migrantes que llegan en autobuses desde la frontera sur. Entonces sí tienen un sistema para recibirlos, pero en condiciones complicadas". Sobre la sonada llegada de migrantes en Nochebuena, lo que llama la atención para Meyer es "el frio extremo que azotaba en ese momento la ciudad”, pero también que había gente en playeras, sin ropa adecuada para el frío, les tuvieran que dar cobijas". Esta analista del WOLA subraya que si bien estas llegadas de migrantes constituyen un "mensaje político de los republicanos", lo que esos políticos no tienen en cuenta es que "hay personas en medio". Ella concluye que "frente a esta urgencia humanitaria se necesitaría una respuesta del gobierno federal mucho mejor con recursos y asegurando una coordinación a nivel local y estatal, sobre todo de los estados del sur de los Estados Unidos que están recibiendo a las personas migrantes". Se calcula que desde abril Tejas a enviado en buses hacia estados como Washington, Nueva York, Chicago y Filadelfia a unos 16 mil migrantes. La mayoría tuvo como destino la capital.

RFI entrevistó a Maureen Meyer, vicepresidenta de programas del think tank WOLA en Washington, sobre los autobuses con migrantes que fueron abandonados delante de la residencia de la vicepresidenta estadounidense Kamala Harris en Washington. 'Es un mensaje político de los republicanos que no tiene en cuenta las vidas humanas', advierte. La feroz tormenta invernal que azota Estados Unidos desde la semana pasada ha dejado al menos 50 muertos, incluyendo casos de personas que fueron encontradas en bancos de nieve, en sus coches o que fallecieron por paro cardiaco mientras quitaban la nieve. Además, este lunes la Casa Blanca acusó al gobernador de Texas, Greg Abbott, de poner en peligro las vidas de varias personas, pues autobuses cargados con más de un centenar de migrantes fueran dejados cerca de la casa de la vicepresidenta Kamala Harris en Washington. Ya se está volviendo costumbre en Estados Unidos ver llegar buses llenos de migrantes a lugares gobernados por demócratas o estrechamente relacionados con el presidente Joe Biden y su vicepresidenta Kamala Harris. Los tres buses dejaron a las 100 personas entre los que había niños, en medio de la calle donde se sentía una temperatura de casi menos 8 grados centígrados. "La llegada de migrantes al frente de la casa de la vicepresidenta Harris es una táctica política que han utilizado algunos gobernadores, sobre todo el de Tejas, Abbott, para enviar un mensaje político al gobierno federal”, explica Maureen Meyer, vicepresidenta de programas del think tank  WOLA en Washington". Para esta analista, sin embargo, estas tácticas también suscitan inquietud. "Aparte del hecho de que son principalmente un golpe mediático, y que no se tiene en cuenta en absoluto a los migrantes, el problema radica en que estas llegadas de migrantes se hacen sin dar ningún aviso a las personas que los van a recibir. Tampoco hay claridad sobre cuándo van a llegar. Todo ello complica mucho las cosas porque no se sabe cuántos voluntarios se necesitan para recibirlos, qué necesidades tienen las personas y cuál es su destino final. Hay que resaltar también que las organizaciones de voluntarios de la zona de Washington sí llevan desde marzo y abril pasado atendiendo a migrantes que llegan en autobuses desde la frontera sur. Entonces sí tienen un sistema para recibirlos, pero en condiciones complicadas". Sobre la sonada llegada de migrantes en Nochebuena, lo que llama la atención para Meyer es "el frio extremo que azotaba en ese momento la ciudad”, pero también que había gente en playeras, sin ropa adecuada para el frío, les tuvieran que dar cobijas". Esta analista del WOLA subraya que si bien estas llegadas de migrantes constituyen un "mensaje político de los republicanos", lo que esos políticos no tienen en cuenta es que "hay personas en medio". Ella concluye que "frente a esta urgencia humanitaria se necesitaría una respuesta del gobierno federal mucho mejor con recursos y asegurando una coordinación a nivel local y estatal, sobre todo de los estados del sur de los Estados Unidos que están recibiendo a las personas migrantes". Se calcula que desde abril Tejas a enviado en buses hacia estados como Washington, Nueva York, Chicago y Filadelfia a unos 16 mil migrantes. La mayoría tuvo como destino la capital.

Adam, Stephanie Brewer, Maureen Meyer, and Lesly Tejada discuss regional migration and the Summit of the Americas, which took place Los Angeles earlier in June. The four analyze the political implications of the Summit and their recent travel to the border areas. 

Ante el posible fin del Título 42, aclaramos si todavía es necesario mantenerlo, si se ha usado como herramienta de control migratorio y qué podemos esperar cuando ya no esté vigente.Conversamos con Maureen Meyer, quien es vicepresidenta para Programas de The Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) y trabaja en el desarrollo de prioridades políticas y estrategias para promover los derechos humanos y la justicia social en América Latina.

More than 120,000 migrants have applied for protection in Mexico in 2021. We discuss Mexico's difficult transition to being a country of refuge with Gretchen Kuhner of IMUMI, Daniel Berlin of Asylum Access Mexico, and Maureen Meyer and Stephanie Brewer of WOLA.

Después de cuatro años de un gobierno antiinmigrante, Joe Biden enfrenta el enorme desafío de reformar el sistema migratorio de Estados Unidos. El inicio no ha sido fácil. Maureen Meyer, vicepresidenta de the Washington Office on Latin America, habla con León Krauze sobre los retos de México y Estados Unidos en cuando a la agenda migratoria. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The U.S. government is transitioning between two different visions of migration, while human mobility increases throughout Latin America. Adam Isacson and Maureen Meyer discuss what a humane and effective policy would entail, at home and region-wide.

El presidente de México, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, dijo este lunes que esperar el pronunciamiento oficial del resultado de las elecciones en Estados Unidos no significa que apoye las denuncias de "fraude" realizadas por el mandatario Donald Trump.  Poco después del anuncio de los medios de comunicación de que el candidato demócrata, Joe Biden, había ganado la carrera a la Casa Blanca, varios jefes de Estado del mundo se apresuraron a saludar al nuevo presidente electo. Pero dos días después del anuncio, el mandatario de México, Andrés Manuel López Obrado, todavía no felicitó a Biden. En una conferencia de prensa el 9 de noviembre, Andrés Manuel López Obrador dijo que esperara los resultados oficiales. Escuche la entrevista con Maureen Meyer, vicepresidenta para programas de la oficina en Washington para Asuntos Latinoamericanos.   Con AFP.    

This month, WOLA premiered an animated video for our Beyond the Wall campaign and recorded a panel discussion. Our panelists discuss the challenges and solutions on a rights-respecting approach to migration. The panel is moderated by Mario Moreno, WOLA’s Vice President for Communications, and includes Geoff Thale, the President of WOLA, Maureen Meyer, WOLA’s Director for Mexico and Migrant Rights, Adam Isacson WOLA’s Director for Defense Oversight, and Adriana Beltran, WOLA’s Director for Citizen Security. Beyond the Wall is a bilingual segment of the Latin America Today podcast, and a part of the Washington Office on Latin America's Beyond the Wall advocacy campaign. In the series, we will follow the thread of migration in the Americas beyond traditional barriers like language and borders. We will explore root causes of migration, the state of migrant rights in multiple countries and multiple borders and what we can do to protect human rights in one of the most pressing crises in our hemisphere. Sign up for updates here: https://www.wola.org/beyondthewall/signup-beyond-wall/ Music by Blue Dot Sessions and ericb399. Transcripts are generated using a speech recognition software and may contain errors. Please check the corresponding audio before quoting in print. Transcript  

EP#30: Maureen Meyer: Mixed Media Artist by Ana & Kelsey

Mario Moreno, WOLA's VP for Communications, interviews Director for Defense Oversight Adam Isacson and Director for Mexico and Migrant Rights Maureen Meyer on current challenges the region faces from ineffective migration policies and protection of migrant rights and what might be done to change the situation. Beyond the Wall is a bilingual segment of the Latin America Today podcast, and a part of the Washington Office on Latin America's Beyond the Wall advocacy campaign. In the series, we will follow the thread of migration in the Americas beyond traditional barriers like language and borders. We will explore root causes of migration, the state of migrant rights in multiple countries and multiple borders and what we can do to protect human rights in one of the most pressing crises in our hemisphere. Sign up for updates here: https://www.wola.org/beyondthewall/signup-beyond-wall/ Music by Blue Dot Sessions and ericb399. Episode Transcript Intro clips (00:01): The countries of the Northern triangle -- Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala -- are facing a set of conditions that are forcing many families and children to migrate from their community. They're saying "we're here in the shelter, I'm afraid to put my kids into school" Crimes, corruption, poverty and inequality. And they don't have a lot of hope because we know that most people get turned away. These issues are forcing many to seek protection and opportunities elsewhere. What do we project as a country with how we're treating these people, many of which are seeking protection? Barbed wire on the top of the fence...It looks like world war one out there. President Donald Trump (00:32): Someone at border crossing comes in, you say sorry, we're taking you back. That's if we're nice and I want to do that. WOLA Expert Quote (00:37): Say you've been kidnapped in a Mexican border town, you may feel so unsafe there that you're willing to run the risk of all the insecurities that led you to flee your home in the first place. But is that really a choice? Lisette Alvarez (00:49): Hi, my name is Lisette Alvarez and this is Beyond the Wall. Speaker 3 (01:02): Beyond the wall is a bilingual segment of the Latin America today podcast, and a part of the Washington Office on Latin America's (WOLA's) Beyond the wall advocacy campaign. In the series, we will follow the thread of migration in the Americas beyond traditional barriers like language and borders. We will explore root causes of migration, the state of migrant rights in multiple countries and multiple borders and what we can do to protect human rights in one of the most pressing crises in our hemisphere. In this first interview, Mario Moreno, WOLA's VP for communications interviews Adam Isacson, director for defense oversight and Maureen Meyer director for Mexico and migrant rights. The discussion focuses on current challenges the region faces from ineffective migration policies and protection of migrant rights and what might be done to change the situation. Mario Moreno (01:55): My name is Mario Moreno. I'm the vice president for communications at the Washington office in Latin America. Today we're here to talk about central American migration and us migration policy. Now, before I introduce our two experts who are here with us, let me first set the table for you. In the last few years, hundreds of thousands of central American migrants of like dangerous and untenable situation in their home communities. These include poverty, climate change, crime, corruption and violence. These migrants have traversed Mexico facing dual threats from organized crime and corrupt migration or law enforcement officials. Along the way, they've navigated the dangers of Mexican border towns and arrived at U S ports of entry where they've actively sought to be taken into custody by customs and border patrol protection agents in order to make a heartbreaking request asylum in the United States. This has created a significant policy challenge addressing it requires smart and compassionate policymaking that should include making significant investments to address the root causes of in central American countries, providing for the safety of migrants in transit and strengthening asylum systems in the United States, in Mexico, and other countries in the region. Sadly, which should be characterized as a significant policy and administrative challenge has instead turned into a humanitarian crisis on both sides of the U S Mexico border here to talk about the scale of the humanitarian crisis and present ideas for solutions. WOLA's director for defense oversight, Adam Isacson and WOLA's director for Mexico and migrant rights, Maureen Meyer, thank you both for joining this conversation. So in the last several years, the Trump administration has sparked a contentious nationwide debate on border enforcement as his administration has pushed for a border wall. The debate on border enforcement has shifted to extremes and it's unclear how much progress has been made on the wall itself. Where does this debate actually stand currently, and if you could imagine what a, what a what a, what a human rights respecting alternative to border policy would be, what does that look like for you Adam? Adam Isacson (04:06): Thanks Mario. Let me just give a background on where the wall stands real fast. Uh, about a hundred, a little more than a hundred miles of wall had been built. Um, so far. Uh, during the Trump administration, nearly all of that is replacing already existing wall. There's not much out there that's new. Um, it has however, completely polarized the debate, uh, here in Washington, uh, in a way that makes our our work challenging. Actually there are no swing votes. Um, the, uh, democratic party is entirely with us, uh, down to the most conservative member. I'm not building any border wall and Mo, nearly all of the Republican party is against us. Very few are crossing the lines. Um, we've actually pretty much one in Congress every year when there is an appropriations bill, uh, they give just a pittance of money for the wall. Um, you all remember when Donald Trump closed or the PS shut down the government because he couldn't get what he wanted out of Congress where we're losing right now on the wall or on something that just about nobody, including top leadership has influenced, uh, the president declared a state of emergency. Adam Isacson (05:19): Um, a law from the 1970s reinterpreted by the Supreme court in the 80s, gives him the power, uh, to take money out of the, of another or agency's budget, in this case, the huge defense budget and put it into wall building. Um, and as of now, out of every $4 being spent to build new border wall, three of it was not approved by Congress. It's taken by Fiat. And that power, that emergency power is still be challenged in the court system. Uh, but it may be several more months before we know the outcome of that. And of course it is pretty easy to prove that there's not an emergency at the border. So that's where things stand right now. Um, I guess one big challenge right now in Congress, um, is ensuring that our friends are up to date, that they're not fighting the last war, that they're not just asking questions as important as it is, that they're just not just asking questions and holding hearings about family separation, which is, you know, the big heart of 2018 or about kids in cages, the big horror of 18 and 19, but that we're also talking about the remain in Mexico program. We're also talking about the shippings of people to Guatemala to go seek asylum there and, and all of the other actions that have been taken, it pretty much shut down the right to seek a salad at the border. Maureen Meyer (06:34): Yeah. And I think just to add on that, it's sort of don't want to underestimate the dramatic impact that the board construction w the wall construction is having at the border. I'm a native of Arizona. Seeing the amount of Solero cactuses that have been cut down that take 200 years to grow to the height that they are is devastating local communities. Indigenous communities are not being consulted as they slash disregard environmental and other laws to rapidly build more walls in this election year. So I think there is a real concern of just the pace it's going and yes there are alternatives to this. As you mentioned Mario, we've, WOLA, put together lots of proposals on how do you make better use of existing resources, looking at technology, looking at deployments. Also, how do you invest in the ports of entry? I mean if your main concern is illicit entry of drugs in the country and also promoting commerce, a lot more money needs to put into the ports of entry. Looking at how do you hold accountable customs and border protection agents, ice agents that abuse citizens, residents and migrants. And I think those are the other areas where we are working and members of Congress are also really interested in looking at what are the alternatives to a more effective approach to border security and immigration enforcement. Mario Moreno (07:46): Great. Uh, thank you both Adam and Maureen for that. You know, it's clear to me that the border debate is important, but it's not the entirety of the challenges that we face currently as it relates to migration policy in the United States. There's all, and I think Adam, you touched on this. There's been a systematic attempt to end the right to asylum as we know it through the implementation of safe third country deals through the third country asylum ban through Remain in Mexico, while ignoring fundamental investments, uh, to deal with our badly broken asylum system. Maureen, what's been the impact of this approach on migrants and what are alternatives exist to fixing the asylum system as it stands? Maureen Meyer (08:23): I mean, I think first it's important to run through that sort of series of efforts that have been implemented, like in, in order to limit access to asylum at the border. The first was metering. So limiting how many people could approach a port of entry every day. Adam just sent around another report that came out about about 12,000 people still waiting for a turn to do it the right way. Most people are entering up to 10 if they're lucky. Families are being admitted a day at different ports of entry. The Remain in Mexico program which is forcing asylum seekers to wait in Mexico while their immigration proceedings are happening. About 59,000 people are estimated to have gone through the program. There's a very short window of victory on Friday when the ninth circuit had ruled that this was violating us law and probably non refoulment. So the idea that you shouldn't be returning people back to danger, they also granted themselves the administration to stay late Friday evening, meaning that the program continues until the next few days when they're looking at um, what will be the final resolution of the legality of this program? There is the third country asylum transit ban, which basically means if you crossed into the United States after July 15th, 2019 you can be denied asylum because the U.S. Government has deemed that you transmit it through another country that should have protected you. Like you should have requested asylum in another country before reaching the United States. So it applies to anybody except Mexicans to deal with both Mexicans and any other individual that may not go through this program. There are new fast track programs that are basically streamlining asylum procedures to less than 10 days while people are held in detention with no access to lawyers. So you're seeing the steady crackdown or the ability to send people to Guatemala. So a cooperation agreement about a thousand people according to Chad Wolf last week, had been sent to Guatemala often not even knowing when they got on a plane where they were going. So we really have very limited ability to access asylum currently at the U S next go border. And it's clearly an attempt by this administration to limit access to projection. The country limit legal migration of the country as well. And clearly there are things that can be done in the future. Litigation is important. There are lawsuits challenging. Every single one of these measures. We've been happy to be part of submitting affidavits and Amicus, two different lawsuits, and there are things that could be reversed because everything that has been implemented so far has been through executive order. Adam Isacson (10:49): You had asked, uh, what are alternative approaches to fixing the asylum system? I mean, just in the one minute version of that. Um, first, I mean, we are in this historic moment of human mobility in Latin America. It's not a good moment. And you have four and a half million Venezuelans all over South America. You've got 100,000 Nicaraguans all in just about all in Costa Rica. And of course, uh, about a million essential Americans since 2014 most of the kids and families, we just gotta get used to it. We have to realize we are in a moment of a lot more asylum seekers in our system was set up to handle. So we have to adjust our system. And that's really five things, some of which I think we'll discuss in more detail in a minute. One, helping central America stop being a place people feel compelled to flee, helping Mexico shoulder more of the burden and also treat the migrants better as they make the journey and cross fix our ports of entry. People shouldn't have to cross the Rio Grande or go through the desert. Um, and if they're wanting to seek us out and they should just be able to show up at a port and ask; alternative state attention so you're not locked up while you wait for your asylum case to actually come up in court and just more judges work capacity and an independent court system and out independent of the justice department, uh, so that people can actually get a decision quickly rather than wait three or four years in the United States. I mean, that's in a nutshell what a more humane asylum system would look like, Mario Moreno (12:08): You know, something that both of you mentioned is, is Mexico is bearing the brunt of a lot of these decisions. Um, they, Mexico with which has a fundamentally broken migration system to begin with has seen an exponential growth in people applying for asylum in the country. Uh, and, and its immigration system seems to be on the verge of being overrun. Maureen, can you dive into some of the challenges that Mexico is facing as it relates to migrants in Mexico and what can be done to address these challenges? Maureen Meyer (12:37): Yeah, I think their biggest challenge is the Trump administration. And responding to threats of tariff. I mean if you look at the way the Mexican government has responded since may and June of last year, it was precisely due to the threat of imposing tariffs on Mexican goods, which forced them to deploy national guardsman. So most of the military elements to Mexico, Southern and Northern borders to stop people from coming apprehensions dramatically increased the apprehended over 186,000 people last year and many of which likely could have qualified for protection or were hoping to request asylum in the United States. So I think there one big challenge is responding to a very fickle and punitive administration here that is using immigration as a political elective electoral issue, but the others just capacity itself. I think it is clear Mexico's becoming a destination country for more and more asylum seekers in part that's due to how difficult it is to reach the United States, but it's also because there is more awareness of how do you qualify for protection in Mexico. You have more and more people effectively settling in Mexico, which means that they, they feel like they can make a home there and that message goes out to other family members. We certainly met asylum seekers in Chapas last summer that said, if I get asylum, I'm staying here, I'm going to Northern Mexico, I have family there, I want to work there. So that's really, I think, a big role, but they haven't embraced it completely. Mexico is still facing significant financial challenges. They received over 70,000 asylum claims last year and almost 12,000 claims in the first two months of this year alone. Yet their budget for their asylum system is $2.35 million. That's really low. It's, I think it's about 30 some dollars per asylum seeker, if you want to calculate it that way. Most of their refugee agency Kumar's budget is supported by the UNHCR, which is doing important work, but I think longer term Mexico certainly needs to invest in its own system and if it's going to keep enforcing and wanting to do this, government administrations bidding on immigration enforcement, they certainly need to treat people a lot better when they're detaining them and stop holding them in these very squalid. I think a lot of times detention center conditions that are faced with overcrowding, lack of adequate food, healthcare, et cetera. Mario Moreno (14:52): Anything to add here? Adam Isacson (14:53): Yeah, no, struck me in Tapachula now has a part of town Tapachula is that a city of about 200,000 people right by the Guatemala border and as a part of town called Little Africa. Uh, because there are so many people from Africa stranded there, or just deciding to settle there at this point, uh, Tijuana has a Haitian neighborhood now, uh, there are, pupusarias popping up around Mexico city and its environments. Uh, this is something, this is a new reality for Mexico, which was never a destination country before. Um, but I'm talking about in those neighborhoods, the people who actually have some legal status, they've been through, they've gotten asylum or something similar, uh, from Camara. This agency, Maureen mentioned when we visited their office in Tapachula, they were just glutted. They had people massed around their headquarters in this residential neighborhood of Tapachula, almost all of them African or Haitian or Cuban trying to just even get an appointment. And it was utter chaos outside. The director of the office was so backlogged, they didn't even have, um, uh, resources for printer ink and stuff. Unless UNHCR was helping them out. And she actually just said to us, I keep looking at that ceiling and I can't believe I haven't hung myself yet. And that's no way in which to work on. And when I say the United States need to, it needs to adjust to this new reality of migration. So does Mexico and they're doing, um, they need to do more than what they can, but they do need to do a lot more and we should be helping them. Um, in addition to just processing people and giving them status, I mean, those who are awaiting, uh, this status or those who are coming through Mexico and don't have status yet are easy prey for organized crime, for kidnappers, for extortionists, for people, bangs, bands that do assault. And too often the local authorities were in that any part of Mexico they're in are in league with the bad guys. Uh, uh, part of the corruption or sometimes doing the shaking down themselves. Uh, Mexico needs to do a lot, a lot, a lot, a lot more on the almost complete impunity that people who prey on migrants enjoy in Mexico right now. It's a very dangerous and terrifying, uh, trip that migrants make across Mexican territory. Mario Moreno (16:55): Thank you both. I think the last part of the puzzle here is, is we've talked about the U.S.-Mexico border, about the ending of asylum as we know it. We've talked about Mexico becoming a destination country, but a big part of this is central America and, and in a critical pieces. How do you address central American migration by investing on solutions to conditions on the ground in these countries? Adam, starting with you, what is the scale of the challenges that are, that are that what Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras are facing and how can the U S support progress in these countries? Adam Isacson (17:29): The scale is enormous. Uh, these, you know, a lot of us got to know these countries during the years when they are in a state of civil war. Actually, most measures of violence and homicide, um, except for the peak years of the civil Wars. Most measures of violence and homicide are higher now. Uh, the UN, uh, world health organization says that any country with a homicide rate of 10 homicides per 100,000 residents each year is in a state of quote unquote endemic violence. Well, the Northern triangle countries are routinely over 40 or 50 or 100 thousand a year, four or five times that, that, that level, that El Salvador, a couple of years ago, 2015 reached a hundred per a hundred thousand, which is worst than most, uh, of the armed conflicts we've seen around the world, even if it's not formally called an armed conflict. That's the severity of the problem that's expelling people that we're dealing with here. Institutions, uh, those providing security, those providing rule of law have largely collapsed. Um, there are some very brave people in those countries, uh, in prosecutor's offices. Um, judges, um, people, uh, journalists, human rights defenders who are doing the best they can right now. They've been enduring the backlash in all three countries, uh, from really from corrupt elites, uh, who don't find it to be all that convenient that there'd be a state that's actually willing to protect people and enforce the rule of law evenly. Um, the backlash has kicked out just in the past few months. Uh, UN and OAS anticorruption bodies that were investigating government corruption and government ties to organized crime. They're gone now. It's a key firewall that the Trump administration pretty much blindly allows, allowed to close down and go away from the United States to help. Uh, we can't just sort of throw money at police. We can't just throw money at, you know, uh, agricultural programs. Although police reform and agricultural, you know, food safe security is important. We also really need to back the reformers back, the people working to make states function for people. Cause if they don't, people are gonna keep coming. And you know, what I just proposed, there is not a short term solution. There really is no short term way to prevent large numbers of people from leaving central America. It's going to be a dangerous and poor place for a while and climate change is going to make it worse. But we have to be focusing on that media time horizon. How can we make it more livable in 10 or 15 years? And that path goes through institutions and reducing impunity. Maureen Meyer (19:56): And I think just to look at you see on your screen here, U S assistance by fiscal year, looking at all the different areas that us assistance can be beneficial to supporting efforts in central America. We certainly have worked to try to preserve assistance in central America. So the whole thought of somehow cutting aid because countries are not working hard enough to stop their citizens from leaving is not the solution and not going to really at all address why people continue to flee their homes. And so one is looking at how has you assistance, um, focused, what does it work? Is it working? We had a larger project and talk about at the end what we're doing that monitors the impact of um, us assistance to central America. But just to add, I think from everything Adam said, if the U S is going to be engaging, ensuring that it's a large part of the support does go to these crusaders that are working on anticorruption efforts within and outside of government and making sure any U S assistance is conditioned on progress being made by these governments to strengthen public institutions, not just giving money away without having any real oversight over how it's being used or the commitment of these governments to tackle these deep held problems of weak institutions and widespread corruption. Mario Moreno (21:06): So so thank you both sort of laid out a fairly compelling picture that this is, this is a significant issue that spans the entire region and that there's no clear cut solutions that it's going to take a while for us to get our hands around. You know, how do we secure the border in a way that respects human rights? How do we strengthen the asylum system? How do we work with Mexico to make sure that migrants in transit or that stay in Mexico are treated with dignity and respect and that will be addressed. Some of these conditions on the ground in central America a lot to tackle. Um, so walk me through how you're tackling all these issues here at WOLA. What's, you know, what are you working on? Maureen Meyer (21:46): All right, I'll start. I'm sure Adam has more to say. I mean, a, a big part is working to educate policy makers in Congress about what's going on at the border and South of the border. So providing them with Up To Date information and analysis on border enforcement and security, what's happening with asylum seekers that are forced to wait on the Mexican side of the border. What does Mexico's asylum system look like, what's happening in central America? And then also urging and encouraging us support for both protection efforts throughout the region, but also, as we said, ongoing assistance to central America. We work to shape media coverage, either that's pitching stories to reporters, putting reporters in contact with colleagues on the ground. I think it's been a key part of what we've done in the past years of ensuring they understand from people that are working in these communities, what it really looks like and what it, um, what would be policy solutions. We advocate a lot with the Mexican government on their responsibility. All of the concerns we have about what's happening with asylum seekers on the Mexican side of the border with the MPP program, et cetera, are also in part because the Mexican allowed that to happen. They permitted people to be sent back to these dangerous Mexican border towns. So really pushing the Mexican government. We've led efforts with other organizations to say, what are you doing as Mexico to protect people that are in need and what are you doing to ensure that you're building up your own asylum seeker asylum system, sorry. And working investigate the multiple crimes and abuses that happened against migrants on transit. And I think lastly we have, uh, the project that many of you probably heard about with Temple University law school, which is also providing resources for work lawyers working on asylum cases from um, Guatemala, El Salvador. And Honduras. We just launched our third series of resources last in February actually, that look at why different issue, how, how country conditions in central America and how getting that information to lawyers can really support asylum claims here. So I think that's also been how do we make use of our expertise as on the region versus an organization that does direct legal assistance. What we can provide as the expert analysis and partnering with Temple has been a great way to do that. Adam Isacson (23:56): Yeah, I mean, in addition to everything that we're supporting here from reformers and central America to the ports of entry to everything else, there's a lot we post. Uh, that's actually, it's probably taking most of our time right now. Um, ensuring that the appropriations bills that come out of Congress don't include a lot of money or any for the wall, uh, for border patrol expansion for a detention space, for ICE, for more military deployments, uh, to the border. Um, and that includes more, uh, budget for humanitarian assistance during processing and efforts to try to change this really increasingly sick institutional culture at border patrol and CBP. And ice. So obviously with the current configuration we have here in Washington, we're not going to get much of that. We're going to stop a lot of some of what I just said, but we're not going to get a real reform agenda passed in Congress in the year 2020. Um, we however, are working with legislators to try to lay the groundwork in the event that there's a different executive branch next January. We don't want to have to start from scratch and just have to hit the ground running and decide what it is. Uh, people are going to get or get, get going around. Um, we're laying the groundwork now and we do that through regular contact with legislators. We're talking to legislative staff just this afternoon, uh, who are going to visit Mexico Southern border, um, about, you know, how to organize their trip. Um, and we have a lot of conversations like that all the time based really on the field work and research we do, which is expensive, but absolutely essential is what we're getting a lot of information that no one else gets. Um, in addition to the media work that, that Maureen mentioned. So a lot of this is looking toward, you know, laying the groundwork for next year. If next year ends up with the same configuration, we'll put it that way. Uh, we've got a lot of problems, but we will continue to find ways to, uh, to push back, uh, with every tool available or disposal. Mario Moreno (25:45): Great. Well, I want to thank you both for joining this conversation and I want to thank everybody for listening. This is an issue that, as you've heard, we'll continue to track closely. So stay tuned for updates. Speaker 3 (25:59): Join WOLA and advocating for migrant policies that respect human rights. If you can do one thing after listening to this episode, share what you've learned on social media using the hashtag beyond the wall. You can also stay updated by signing up for our newsletter at wola dot org forward slash beyond the wall. Thank you for listening.  

WOLA's Adam Isacson and Maureen Meyer covered nearly 400 miles of the Mexico-Guatemala border during a mid-August visit. Amid a U.S.-inspired crackdown on irregular migration, they saw National Guardsmen, checkpoints and patrols, a nearly collapsed refugee reception system, and thousands of asylum seekers from Cuba, Haiti, and Africa stranded after crossing half the planet. The crackdown, which began in June, has reduced migration but endangered people fleeing violence, while benefiting smugglers and their corrupt accomplices. By assenting to Trump administration pressure, Meyer and Isacson explain, Mexico has assumed the political costs, but has not yet dealt with the humanitarian and social consequences on vivid display in the southern border zone.

Maureen Meyer of the Washington Office on Latin America joins us today to discuss the experiences and challenges of Central Americans that face a grueling journey once they’ve decided to flee their home countries. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/latampodcast/support

WOLA's Adam Isacson, Maureen Meyer, and Adeline Hite were at the Arizona-Mexico border last week amid the furor over the Trump administration's zero-tolerance and family separation policies. They discuss what they saw and what asylum-seekers are facing.

The U.S. government finally has a budget for 2018. Congress almost completely rejected President Trump’s border wall proposal, and reversed his deep cuts in aid to Latin America. Adam Isacson, Maureen Meyer, and Geoff Thale discuss what happened.

The House Appropriations Committee just passed a budget bill that gives the Trump administration much of what it is asking for: more border wall, more agents, and more deportations. Get an update from senior Associates Adam Isacson and Maureen Meyer.

U.S. statistics showed a sharp drop in migration from Mexico, and especially from Central America, in February. WOLA's Adam Isacson, Maureen Meyer, and Hannah Smith talk about what is happening and what now awaits migrants who seek asylum or refuge.

Pope Francis and his trip to Mexico provide the central themes this week on Latin Pulse. The program discusses the pope's fourth trip to Latin America, which will primarily focus on key stops throughout Mexico. The program reflects on the pope's efforts to put the global refugee crisis and the need to ease migration restrictions in front of policymakers in the hemisphere.  The news segment of the program covers testimony from the Centers for Disease Control in the United States officially linking the zika virus outbreak to microcephaly, a condition that causes brain damage in infants.The program includes in-depth interviews with:Andrew Chesnut of Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU); andMaureen Meyer of the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA).Executive Producer: Rick Rockwell; Technical Director: Jim Singer; andAssociate Producer: Natalie Ottinger.(To download or stream this podcast, click here.)   (The program is 30 minutes in length and the file size is 42 MB.) podcastnewsLatin AmericaBrazilpoliticsMexicozikaCubaUnited Stateshealth issuesPope FrancisreligionimmigrationEl SalvadorCentral Americadrug cartelsindigenous issuesSinaloa CartelU.S. CongressDrug Warcorruptionglobal refugee crisisVirgin of GuadalupePope Benedict XVIKnights Templar CartelEnrique Pena NietoCatholicismmigrantsscandalviolenceHonduraspovertyCatholic ChurchCosta RicaPanamaNicaraguahuman rights

Latin Pulse registers its 200th episode this week, so the program looks back at the audience's favorite programs since the program became an online radio project.  Themes included in the program include migration, the Drug War, the civil war in Colombia, indigenous issues, and the construction of the Belo Monte Dam in Brazil. The program also includes a discussion of religion, including Santeria and about the folk saint Santa Muerte.  The news segment of the program analyzes the surprise diplomatic move this week by President Mauricio Macri in Argentina to reach out to the United Kingdom.The program includes interviews with:Maureen Meyer of the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA);Gimena Sanchez of WOLA;Eve Bratman of American University;Michael Atwood Mason, Director of the Smithsonian Center for Folklife & Cultural Heritage; andAndrew Chesnut of Virginia Commonwealth University.Executive Producer: Rick Rockwell; Technical Director: Jim Singer; andAssociate Producer: Natalie Ottinger.(To download or stream this podcast, click here.)   (The program is 30 minutes in length and the file size is 42 MB.) podcastnewsLatin AmericaBrazilpoliticsMexicoArgentinaCubadiplomacyimmigrationUnited StatesDrug WarFalkland IslandsviolenceU.S. Border PatrolAfro-Latin American issuesBelo Monte DamLos MalvinasUnited KingdomDavid CameronMauricio Macridrug cartelsindigenous issuesmilitaryColombiaFARCreligioncocaineaerial fumigationThe AmazonmediamediaSanteriaSanta Muertehealth issuesindigenous religionnarco-religion

This week, Latin Pulse takes a deeper look at the disappearance of students from Ayotzinapa and Cuban migration to the United States. Global activists are protesting due to the disappearance of the 43 university students in Mexico. The situation is emblematic of decades of corruption and collusion in the Mexican government. This time, however, it appears the Mexican government will be held to account. Later in the program, Cuban immigrants are coming to the U.S. in higher numbers now than any time in the past 20 years. The program looks at the reason behind this increased immigrant flow.The program includes in-depth interviews with:Maureen Meyer of the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA);William LeoGrande of American University.Executive Producer: Rick Rockwell; Producer: Jim Singer; andAssociate Producer: Gabriela Canchola.(To download or stream this podcast, click here.) (The program is 30 minutes in length and the file size is 42 MB.) podcastnewsLatin AmericaMexicoIgualaCubaviolenceEnrique Pena NietodisapperancescrimepolicemilitarymigrationimmigrationJose Luis AbarcaFelipe CalderoneducationjusticeimpunityrefugeeseconomicscartelsAgriculturecorruptionPRItourismremittancesinequalityoilebolaVenezuelaAngolaAyotzinapaChileLiberiapoliticsBeltran Leyva CartelDrug WarFidel CastroRaul CastroGuerreros Unidoshuman rightscivil societyorganized crimeJuarez CartelTijuana CartelSinaloa Cartelextrajudicial killingshuman traffickinghealth issuesmedical servicesprotest movement

Since October, authorities have captured more than 46,000 unaccompanied children, most of them from Central America, on the U.S. side of the border. Adam talks with WOLA's Geoff Thale, Maureen Meyer, and Marc Hanson about causes and implications.