Tag Archives: security

Anti-drug bases in Panama and the Drug War in 2010

By Eliot Brockner | Published: December 30, 2009
One of the biggest stories emerging from the Americas in 2009 was Colombia’s decision to let the United States access military installations throughout Colombia in efforts to combat narcotrafficking. The move exacerbated already tenuous relations between Colombia and Venezuela, with the latter claiming that US presence in Colombia was a direct threat to sovereignty, another [...]
Posted in Colombia, Panama, Venezuela | Also tagged , | 1 Comment

The International Reach of Organized Crime

By Eliot Brockner | Published: November 27, 2009
Earlier this year, LatAmThought wrote a commentary about the international reach or criminal organizations in the Americas. Last week, we published an article on the International Relations and Security Network about the indirect presence of Mexican Cartels in the Andes. The amount of drug seizures in Bolivia have increased in 2009. Additionally, raids on drug-processing labs [...]
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Paraguay’s Anti-Terrorist Group and the US

By Eliot Brockner | Published: November 10, 2009
On 4 November 2009, the United States announced they would donate US$1.39 million in equipment towards the formation of an elite unit of highly trained troops in the Paraguayan army. Backed by US funding (sources put the total amount of the expedition at US$3 million) and training from SOUTHCOM, the troops are trained in counterterrorism [...]
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Accountability Amongst Brazil’s Police

By Eliot Brockner | Published: March 24, 2009
O Globo, a Rio de Janeiro-based daily, published an article on 24 March talking about a unique and creative way Brazil is battling high levels of crime and police corruption. In Brazlandia, a neighborhood in the capital city of Brasilia, a program was launched on 23 January titled “A Policia Militar e voce – Uniao [...]
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Coffee Smuggling and the Importance of Successful Nation Branding

By Eliot Brockner | Published: March 8, 2009
At first glance, the Honduran-Guatemalan border at El Florido appears no different from any other international land border crossing in Latin America. Migrant day workers mix with road-weary truckers, soldiers, little kids selling everything from candy to cigarettes, and myriad other overland travelers destined for points unknown. Customs officials dutifully check documentation of each person [...]
Posted in Guatemala, Honduras | Also tagged , | 3 Comments

Brazil’s Army Cont’d

By Eliot Brockner | Published: February 1, 2009
I recently had a letter published in this week’s edition (January 31-February 6) of The Economist. The letter, which I’ve copied and pasted below, is in response to this article about the Brazilian military from the January 17 edition of the economist, and is related to the 24 January commentary found on LatAmThought about securing [...]
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Brazil’s Other Frontier

By Eliot Brockner | Published: January 24, 2009
It is far less alluring, polarizing, and smaller than the Amazon. It attracts very few tourists and minimal attention from Brazilian and international conservation groups. Nestled between the Paraguay and Paraná rivers lay an isolated area known as the Chaco, home to an approximately 500 mile-long border shared by Brazil and Paraguay. Just southeast of [...]
Posted in Brazil, Paraguay | Also tagged , | 1 Comment

Argentina and the Drug Trade

By Eliot Brockner | Published: December 14, 2008
The nation most known for its meat and tango is facing the possibility of adding something more to the notoriety list: a haven for drug smuggling. Within the last two weeks, Argentine customs officials and police have seized over 1000 kilos of cocaine in the port of Buenos Aires, destined for Spain for distribution [...]
Posted in Argentina, Mexico | Also tagged , , | 3 Comments

Colombia buying weapons from Russia?

By Sebastian Chaskel | Published: October 28, 2008
It is not surprising that Venezuela, Bolivia, and other Latin American governments are strengthening their military ties with Russia. Since the United States suspended arms sells to Venezuela in 2006, Venezuela has signed billions of dollars worth of weapons deals with Russia. Bolivia’s interest in buying weapons from Russia spiked in the last month as [...]
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