Day: March 9, 2024

So far this year, it seems that 82,000 migrants have crossed the Darién, the majority being Venezuelans (having already lost 25% of its population, Venezuela will be empty soon if this carries on!). Ecuadorians were the second-largest group, after unrest there.

However, the migrants come from everywhere, and RFA had an article today about a member of the Hui Muslim minority from the northern city of Tangshan in China. He and his family were among 24,000 Chinese nationals said to have made the grueling trip through Central America to the Mexican-US border. for a boat ride boat ride in Colombia and the trek through the Darién jungle, adults were charged $1,100 each, the eldest child $600, and the youngest $500, totaling $3,300 for the family.

https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/hui-muslim-run-us-asylum-seeker-03082024131630.html

Meanwhile, the Government has said that the cost to it of closing the copper mine at the centre of last year’s protests would be around $800 million.

However, one bit of good news. It was announced on International Women’s Day that Panama has the fewest femicides in Latin America, with 15 last year.

9 MARCH 2024

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On 8 March, an article in Lawfare says that the case is an unusual one, with the defendants comprising 3 family members desperate to help their loved ones, 2 independent journalists moved to action by some blend of compassion and excessive proximity to their work, and a lawyer who stepped beyond his commitment to the legal defence of French foreign fighters in an effort to exfiltrate a jihadist and his family from Islamic State in Syria.  It is said that the case raises crucial questions about the intersection of anti-terrorism laws and humanitarian efforts, illustrating the complexities involved in legislating the support extended to family members entangled with terrorist groups.  Its outcome could heighten legal risks for any individuals who have attempted to aid foreign fighters or their families, irrespective of the aims behind that assistance.

https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/a-trial-in-france-raises-hard-questions-about-the-financing-of-terrorism

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On 27 February, the IMF released a Country Report which summarises the AML/CFT measures in place in the BVI at the time of the onsite visit in March 2023.  It analyses the level of compliance with the FATF 40 Recommendations and the level of effectiveness of the AML/CFT system and provides recommendations on how the system could be strengthened.

https://www.imf.org/-/media/Files/Publications/CR/2024/English/1VGBEA2024001.ashx

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On 7 March, Private Eye reported that, in 2016, new laws required companies including LLP to publish their beneficial owners, or “persons of significant control” (PSC).  This triggered a move to Scottish limited partnerships (SLP), which surged in popularity until the government extended the disclosure requirement to SLP a year later.  This in turn triggered a move to English limited partnerships (LP), to which the disclosure obligations still didn’t apply.  The Government has rejected extending controls to LP.

https://www.private-eye.co.uk/hp-sauce

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On 8 March, Defence Web reported that the Russian military company Wagner appears to have been renamed the Africa Corps by Moscow, and brought under the control of Russia’s Defence Ministry.  It asks what does the government takeover of the company mean for security in Africa?

https://www.defenceweb.co.za/security/national-security/russias-africa-corps-more-than-old-wine-in-a-new-bottle

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On 9 March, Business Insider reported on a blooming black market in greenhouse gases, involving HFC commonly used in refrigerators and air conditioners, but also potent greenhouse gases.  Their import is strictly regulated.  An indictment alleges that the man bought the chemicals in Mexico, hid them in his truck under a tarp as he drove back to the US, posted them online and sold them for profit.  In 2021, the EPA, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Defense, Department of Justice, and other US Government agencies created an interdepartmental task force aimed at stopping the illegal importation of HFC.

https://www.businessinsider.com/greenhouse-gas-black-market-smuggling-hfc-arrests-crackdown-global-warming-2024-3

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On 8 March, OFAC advised that it had sanctioned 2 companies – 1 in Russia and 1 in the Central African Republic (CAR) – for their efforts in advancing Russia’s malign activities in CAR. The targets have played an important role enabling the Private Military Company ‘Wagner’ and, by extension, the activities of the Russian Federation.  Those designated sought monetary gain from illicit natural resource extraction and provided material and financial support to the Wagner Group and other organisations associated with the enterprise of Yevgeniy Prigozhin, the former Wagner Group owner.

https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy2164

https://ofac.treasury.gov/recent-actions/20240308

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