A new report shows the extent to which insecurity negatively affects the daily lives of Central American citizens, and provides further evidence that crime and corruption are important factors driving emigration from the region. The findings suggest current policies aimed at addressing these issues may lack an adequate emphasis on preventive, rather than reactive measures for deterring crime and migration…
This piece was co-authored with Tristan Clavel. Read it in its entirety at InSight Crime.
Authorities in Nicaragua are trumpeting their counternarcotics efforts, which they say have kept “cartels” out of the country. But a series of prosecutions of alleged crime bosses shows that sophisticated, large-scale drug trafficking groups do indeed operate in the Central American nation…
Read this piece in its entirety at InSight Crime.
Over the past several years, the United States has spent hundreds of millions of dollars on crime and violence prevention programs in Central America, with few evaluations of the impact of this investment. But one hotly debated study highlights the challenges of measuring security assistance outcomes, as well as the need for a greater body of analysis about the efficacy of such initiatives…
Read this piece in its entirety at InSight Crime.
Officials say Costa Rica is experiencing an increase in irregular migration from Africa, signaling the growth of new human smuggling networks and raising a number of questions for policymakers to consider when handling this complex issue…
Read this piece in its entirety at InSight Crime.
El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala are all facing serious financial constraints that could hinder their ability to carry out reforms to police and judicial institutions and implement new security measures…
Read this piece in its entirety at InSight Crime.
UPDATE (May 24, 2016):
This article was written just one day after the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) announced that it is “going through a severe financial crisis that will have serious consequences on its ability to fulfill its mandate and carry out its basic functions,” which include monitoring allegations of human rights crimes.
The IACHR says it will have to lay off some 40 percent of its current staff and cancel its next two sessions, which had been scheduled for July and October of this year.
The parent body of the IACHR, the Organization of American States (OAS), has faced serious financial problems for years due in part to non-payment of dues by some member states. Earlier this year, the Chairman of the Permanent Council of the OAS described the funding issues as an “existential threat” to the organization.
Mike LaSusa 