Lloyd Belton examines why spikes in crime and escalating gang wars in Brazil have not necessarily driven concurrent increases in kidnapping and extortion incidents, and how violence is shifting to the north of the country.
With the establishment of a new constituent assembly in Venezuela, Helena Maxwell explores how President Nicolás Maduro has further entrenched his position despite regional and international condemnation.
The June protests may have dwindled for now, but with the FIFA World Cup approaching, the presence of anarchist elements and unaddressed economic grievances means another “Battle in Seattle” may be on the cards for Brazil, writes Zoe Wakefield.
While President Santos' re-election in May remains likely, public resistance to a possible FARC amnesty threatens the peace talks on which he's staked his reputation, writes Zoe Wakefield.
A recent surge in violence in Rio's favelas is a sign of declining trust between residents and police, which has allowed once-banished drug traffickers and criminal gangs to take back territory. Despite these problems, the city's policing initiatives have brought visible benefits, which the next governor must work hard to cement, writes Zoe Wakefield.…
Upcoming elections will be among the most hotly contested in recent years. Yet, despite the centrality of emotionally charged issues such as social welfare, corruption and economic recession, we are very unlikely to see a resurgence of anti-government protests, writes Zoe Wakefield.
To curb growing domestic terrorism, the government must stop conflating Mapuche civil unrest with violent anarchist attacks, writes Lloyd Belton.
It is time to look beyond narrowly defined US national security concerns and afford greater attention to the impact of Hezbollah's operations on internal security in Latin America, writes Lloyd Belton.
Mexico's virtual kidnappers are increasingly relying on social media platforms and decentralised criminal networks to carry out targeted attacks on foreign nationals, writes Lloyd Belton.
By replacing 50-year-old economic sanctions against Cuba with punitive political measures against Venezuela, the US continues to isolate itself from its Latin American neighbours and risks undermining negotiations with Cuba,writes Lloyd Belton.
The El Salvadoran government's uncompromising approach to gang violence has failed repeatedly, and an anticipated increase in US funding is likely to exacerbate violence in the country, writes Lloyd Belton.