Latin America
Synthetic Drugs in Latin America: A Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Top Concern
WASHINGTON — Synthetic drugs remain the top threat to U.S. public health and safety, the Drug Enforcement Administration said in its latest National Drug Threat Assessment, citing evolving criminal strategies, shifting purity levels, and a deepening convergence between narcotics and … Read more
World Bank: Crime Limits Central America’s Economic Growth—a Vicious Cycle
In Central America, crime not only takes lives—it suffocates economies. Violent and corrupt forces relentlessly drag back a region rich in culture and potential. The World Bank’s latest Latin America and Caribbean Economic Review (LACER) delivers a sobering reminder: organized … Read more
Costa Rica’s Homicide Rate Declines in 2025, But Crime Still a Major Concern
Increasing crime is challenging Costa Rica’s long-standing reputation for peace and safety. Although homicide numbers are showing signs of improvement in 2025, the more profound challenges of organized crime and drug trafficking remain. As of April 30, 2025, Costa Rica’s … Read more
Ecuador’s Daniel Noboa: How the Right-Win President Won Re-Election and Captured Swing Voters
On April 13, 2025, 37-year-old businessman Daniel Noboa, one of the world’s youngest presidents, was re-elected as president of the Republic of Ecuador. Noboa came to office after winning 55.62 per cent of the vote in a runoff election against Luisa González, … Read more
Economic Commission for Latin America ECLAC Forecasts 2.5% Economic Growth for El Salvador in 2025
SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador — The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC or CEPAL) has lowered its 2025 growth forecast for El Salvador to 2.5%, underscoring the growing uncertainty clouding the region’s economic outlook. The revised projection, … Read more
U.S. Aid Cuts Threaten Latin America’s Fight Against Drug Trafficking and Organized Crime
The administration of US President Donald Trump is moving to slash funding for diplomatic and aid programs, which experts say could undercut the ability of the United States and partner governments to monitor and tackle organized crime in Latin America … Read more
Brazil’s Supreme Court Closes Loophole in Gold Trade, Tightening Crackdown on Illegal Mining
BRASÍLIA, Brazil — Brazil’s gold traders must now prove the legal origin of their metal after the nation’s highest court closed a major loophole that had fueled organized crime and environmental destruction. On March 21, the Supreme Federal Court (Supremo … Read more
A 10-Year Look at Latin America’s Changing Homicide Rates
Organized crime — particularly cocaine trafficking — has been the main driver of homicides in Latin America and the Caribbean over the last decade, according to data compiled by InSight Crime. While the regional homicide rate has remained relatively stable, … Read more
Bukele Offers to Repatriate 252 Venezuelans in Exchange for Venezuela’s Political Prisoners
SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador — In a bold diplomatic overture, Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele on Sunday proposed a prisoner swap with Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro: 252 deported Venezuelans currently held in El Salvador’s high-security prison in exchange for the release … Read more