Dialogo forum Breaking News From South America the Caribbean

Regional Panorama

Taking Back Complexo Do Alemão

With the support of the Brazilian Armed Forces and the Federal Police, the Civil and Military Police of the state of Rio de Janeiro occupied Complexo do Alemão, a bastion of drug traffickers in northern Rio in November 2010. Until then, the area had been a safe haven for drug traffickers to run t...

Guatemala and Nicaragua: New Methamphetamine Production Destination

Close to 195 tons of chemicals used in the production of synthetic drugs en route to Guatemala and Nicaragua were seized by Mexican authorities in January 2012.

Paraguay Fights Against Terror

Paraguay’s Government took action against the armed left-wing group the Paraguayan People’s Army (EPP for its Spanish acronym) by sending military troops and more than 1,000 extra police to the provinces of Concepción and San Pedro for a 60-day operation that started in November 2011.

Fear and Islam In Trinidad

Trinidad and Tobago’s Muslim community is believed to be the largest in the Caribbean. It is part of the country’s religiously plural society, widely seen as free of extremist sentiments. Yet, guns and crime in the country, occasionally involving Muslims, have security officials concerned and Mus...

Eyes on the Caribbean

Defense and security leaders from 17 Caribbean countries met in St. Kitts and Nevis to exchange ideas and reinforce collaboration in the fight against transnational organized crime and to support disaster response

A School to Defeat Traffickers

The Counterdrug Intelligence School of the Americas opens its doors in Bogotá, providing a place for countries across the region to share best practices and training to confront the modern-day battle against drug traffickers.

Criminals Exploit Cyberspace

Criminals exploit the Internet as a propaganda vehicle, an information source, and ultimately as a tactical tool to support their nefarious activities.

The Reach of Ideas

Information operations officers exchange lessons learned in counteracting transnational organized crime.

Security After Emergency

Violent crime in Trinidad and Tobago led to the declaration of a state of emergency in August 2011. Drugs and arms trafficking needed to be halted, and the Government asked Soldiers to join with police in the effort. Post-emergency, the Caribbean nation is adopting best practices to strengthen ci...

A Legal Conflict: Human Rights Or International Humanitarian Law?

In a country that is facing a unique internal conflict, what is the most appropriate legal framework to apply to Military and Police actions?

Colombia: Hidden Weapons Unearthed

Police personnel dig out an M60 general-purpose machine gun from a cache of weapons from the People’s Revolutionary Anti-Terrorist Army of Colombia (ERPAC), one of several criminal organizations whose leaders are former paramilitaries. In January 2012, the police found six caches of weapons that ...

Latin America: Pirated Software’s Grip On Central and South America

Piracy software figures for Latin American countries show its prevalence in the region.

Brazil: Phone Tips Result in 40,000 Arrests

Since 2003, Brazilian military police have received more than 230,000 calls to their hotline in the state of Paraná, along the border with Argentina and Paraguay. The calls from citizens have led to the seizure of 8,000 kilos of cocaine and 10,000 crack rocks.

Colombia Bogotá Bans Weapons

Bogotá’s Mayor Gustavo Petro, center, alongside Army General Gabriel Pinilla, left, and Police Colonel Hermilson Orozco, announces the implementation of a three-month trial ban on carrying weapons in public in Colombia’s capital. The ban started on February 1 and ran through May 1, 2012, to deter...