Security & Defense Archives - Page 2 of 23

Latin America’s Murder Rates Reveal Surprising New Trends

Homicide data from the region’s cities show signs of progress in some places and cause for concern in others.

President of Ecuador Daniel Noboa arrives at Carondelet Palace in Quito.

Now Empowered, Noboa Can Still Avoid Authoritarian Drift

Ecuador’s president gained a resounding endorsement for “mano dura” policies against organized crime in Sunday’s referendum. A delicate democratic balance is at stake.

Salazar, 42, is Ecuador's first career prosecutor to ascend to the top job.

Ecuador’s Crusading Attorney General Is Facing Her Toughest Challenge Yet

Diana Salazar’s investigations have taken down major figures. But a wave of drug-related violence is changing what defending the rule of law looks like.

A girl walks by silhouettes of wooden women placed in front of the Metropolitan Cathedral in Mexico City to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on Nov. 25, 2023. Gender-based violence Is at the center of Mexico’s security crisis, and a recent mob attack underscores the need to recognize the gendered dimensions of violence in a critical election year.

Violence Against Women Is at the Center of Mexico’s Security Crisis

A recent mob attack underscores the need to recognize the gendered dimensions of violence in a critical election year.

Despite Record-Low Murder Rates, Brazilians Feel Less Safe

Homicide rates have fallen steadily in recent years, but over a third of Brazil’s public believe that violence has increased since Lula took office.

AQ Podcast | The Shifting Sands of Organized Crime in Latin America

An overview of how homicide and other crimes are evolving in the region

Ecuadorian soldiers carry out an anti-gang operation in Guayaquil on Feb. 5.

Ecuador’s War on Drug Gangs: A Mixed Picture So Far

President Noboa has deployed more than 30,000 soldiers and policemen to contain the chaos. While homicides have fallen, kidnappings and extortion remain high.

Why Drug Cartels Are Expanding to Asia

As cocaine flows to remoter markets, transnational illicit traffic poses a global risk.

Ecuador Actually Has a Chance

… but the Noboa government will need more money, from allies at home and in Washington, to fight organized crime.

The Toxic Politics Around Drugs in Latin America

Neither legalization, nor a Bukele-style crackdown, look like politically viable alternatives to the war on drugs in most countries.

A Honduran police operation incinerates cocaine and hashish outside Tegucigalpa, in June.

Quiet Quitting the War on Drugs

Several Latin American governments seem to be backing off anti-drug efforts, though some avoid explicitly saying so.

Ecuador’s Crisis: A Long Road Ahead

An early consensus has empowered President Noboa, but the consequences of a long conflict are unpredictable.

President Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela receives an official copy of the referendum results that approve his idea of seizing much of Guyana's territory.

The Real Impact of Maduro’s Guyana Referendum

Maduro is less interested in Essequibo than in diverting attention from Venezuela’s economic crisis.

Lula’s Security Policy is Rehashing Old Ideas

Brazil’s president is turning to the military to fight crime, a strategy that brings its own risks.

A Mexican National Guard member monitors a checkpoint in Chiapas, Mexico, in June 2023.

Chiapas Fears Organized Crime, and Military Intervention

Ascendant cartel power on the Mexico-Guatemala border is alarming Indigenous communities, but so is the prospect of militarization.