Can the Northern Triangle Contain a Prison Pandemic?
A Latin America Advisor Q&A featuring experts’ takes on the coronavirus outbreaks in Northern Triangle prisons.
Security & Drug Policy
Latin America’s citizens persistently cite rising levels of violence as their main concern. Undoubtedly, developments linked to heightened insecurity and often tied to the drug trade undermine democratic processes and stunt economic growth. The Inter-American Dialogue’s work on security examines criminal trends throughout Latin America and promotes exchange between US and regional analysts, policymakers, journalists, and business leaders on how to address this growing challenge. Since 2008, the Dialogue has also worked to supply Latin American governments and nongovernmental organizations with independent analysis on current drug control policies as well as non-traditional or alternative strategies.
Analysis See all
The Pandemic is Disrupting Organized Crime, But Not Necessarily for the Better
Covid-19 is transforming organized crime. In addition to heightening the risk of violence, the pandemic is also indirectly strengthening the social, economic, and political clout of several criminal organizations in the same way that the Italian mafia and Japanese Yakuza emerged stronger after the great dislocations of the Second World War. Crime kingpins know full well that law enforcement and criminal justice systems are overstretched, and that prisons are bursting at the seams. They also know that an economic depression is coming, which may increase the risk of violence. It is not entirely clear if governments are similarly alert.
How Well Are Latin American Nations Handling Covid-19?
How are Latin American and Caribbean nations coping with the spread of the new coronavirus?
Press Mentions See all
Temo que un paso en falso o un descuido en cualquiera de las partes, pueda originar un brote de violencia. No es sorprendente que el Gobierno de Maduro haya condenado las operaciones militares estadounidenses antes sus puertas y esté tratando de capitalizarlo y alimentando los sentimientos nacionalistas.
No hay justificación para usar barcos de la Armada de este tamaño en medio de una pandemia. El momento es extremadamente desafortunado.