Security & Defense Archives - Page 11 of 23

Six Reasons Colombia Said “No” to FARC Peace Deal

It was a shock result. But a reexamination of why Colombians voted “no” to a peace deal with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) by a margin of just 54,000 votes on Sunday sheds some light on why almost all pundits got it wrong – and what might happen next. Here are six reasons … Read more

As Colombia Votes on Peace, Child Soldiers Struggle to Adapt

They may call themselves the “generation of peace,” but young Colombians are actually among those least likely to support their government’s recent peace agreement with FARC rebels, which will be put to a plebiscite vote on October 2. Part of the reason, observers say, is that many young Colombians have not experienced the conflict as … Read more

What Brazil Can Learn From the Terrorist Threat to the Rio Olympics

Brazil may be the world’s seventh-largest economy and highly visible on a global scale, but it is, in many ways, remarkably isolated from the rest of the world and from global threats like terrorism. At least most thought it was. The arrests in recent days of 12 Brazilians suspected of plotting to carry out attacks during the … Read more

Promote Americas-wide Collaboration on Cybersecurity

In the new issue of Americas Quarterly, we asked people, “What would you tell the next U.S. president about Latin America?” To see other authors’ responses, click here. Dear Mister / Madam President, Across the globe, the Internet and digital communications have revolutionized the way society, government and businesses connect, interact and transact. This transformation … Read more

Stop Enabling Latin America’s Gun Addiction

In the new issue of Americas Quarterly, we asked people, “What would you tell the next U.S. president about Latin America?” To see other authors’ responses, click here. Dear Mister / Madam President, As the world’s largest arms exporter, the U.S. plays an outsize role in fueling Latin America’s insatiable addiction to firearms. To take … Read more

Interview: Ingrid Betancourt on Colombia-FARC Peace

Since being held captive for six years by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), former senator and presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt has come to believe the nation’s best path forward is through peace negotiations between the rebel group and the government. So it is appropriate that themes of reconciliation, dialogue and forgiveness run throughout … Read more

Cómo es vivir en la ciudad más violenta de Venezuela – y del mundo

Read in English La capital venezolana ya es la ciudad más peligrosa del mundo; incluso peor para miembros del ayuntamiento como Jesús Armas. A los veinte y nueve años, Armas, quien fue elegido por primera vez en diciembre 2013, ha sido testigo del crecimiento de la tasa de asesinatos a 120 homicidios por 100.000 personas … Read more

Homegrown Solutions to Central America’s Narco Nightmare

Six months after getting elected on a tough-on-crime platform, Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández blamed his country’s spiraling crime problem on U.S. drug policy. Washington’s strategy of pouring funds into drug interdiction efforts — first in Colombia, then in Mexico — had actually pushed cartels and gangs to safer havens in Central America, he charged. President Hernández added that … Read more

Centroamérica sigue tan violenta como siempre. ¿Cómo podría cambiar?

Read in English La primera vez que intenté visitar Suchitoto era una ciudad en estado de sitio. Las guerrillas de izquierda que controlaban el cercano volcán Guazapa estaban tratando de correr a los militares. Tres cuartas partes de sus 40.000 habitantes habían huido o muerto. La vida era miserable para los que se quedaron en … Read more

Central America Is As Violent As Ever. What Would it Take to Change?

Leer en español The first time I tried to visit Suchitoto, it was a town under siege. Left-wing guerrillas who held the nearby Guazapa volcano were trying to drive the military out. Three-quarters of the town’s 40,000 population had fled or been killed – and life was miserable for those who remained, as sabotage attacks … Read more

Life in Venezuela’s – and the World’s – Most Violent City

Leer en español Already the most dangerous city in the world, Venezuela’s capital is only getting more dangerous for people like city councilman Jesús Armas. Since the 29-year-old was first elected in December 2013, he has seen the Caracas’ murder rate rise to 120 homicides per 100,000 people – and he expects this to worsen further amid … Read more

Anger Management and Gun Control? New Ways to Reduce Violence in Latin America

Reducing violence is not about controlling violent neighborhoods or even about controlling violent people. It is about inducing people to control themselves. That’s it. The best policing comes when no police are required. The question is how to achieve this in Latin America, the most violent region in the world and home to countries like … Read more

This Week in Latin America: Obama in Havana, Venezuela in Crisis

Sign up here to get This Week in Latin America delivered straight to your inbox every Monday. Cuba, Argentina Host Obama: Cuba and Argentina each play host to U.S. President Barack Obama this week, with human rights issues shading both visits. Today, Obama will hold a working meeting with Cuban President Raúl Castro, who will then host a state dinner … Read more

Uribe: Colombia Peace Deal Is “a Capitulation” to FARC

It’s been a challenging few years for Álvaro Uribe. His 2002-10 presidency of Colombia is still credited with a historic drop in violence and robust economic growth rates. But since leaving office with an approval rating upward of 75 percent, Uribe has watched the country move in a different direction. His chosen successor Juan Manuel … Read more

The Real Reason Behind Rising Violence in Mexico City

Until recently, Mexico City was considered an oasis in a country beset by skyrocketing violence. Even though one in two Mexican adults said they stopped going out at night for fear of being mugged or worse and one fourth of all adult Mexicans were victimized in 2014, the capital was largely exempt. In posh neighborhoods like … Read more