"Si la descertificación parece tener motivaciones políticas, haber decretado la exención al mismo tiempo responde a la estrecha cooperación entre #Colombia y #EEUU, que está en el seno de la lucha diaria de ambos países contra el crimen organizado." ✍️ @dickinsonbeth.bsky.social

After months of (warranted) concern, Colombia's decertification turned out to be a slap on the wrist with limited fallout - the best case scenario in the current political context. My analysis of what this means for US-Colombia relations 👇@crisisgroup.org www.crisisgroup.org/latin-americ...

Today marks a year since the Sinaloa Cartel’s two largest factions, Chapitos and Mayos, fell into a deadly wave of infighting after the former kidnapped and rendered “El Mayo” Zambada to U.S. authorities. I visited the state recently for @crisisgroup.org and this is some of what I saw.

Colombia has for years helped the US seize narcotics, capture criminals & unravel global trafficking, without the gratuitous casualties of last Tuesday’s boat strike. Decertification would undermine the regional fight on org crime, I write for @nytimes.com www.nytimes.com/2025/09/08/o...

Tensions between the US and Venezuela have sparked growing concern in #Colombia about the possible spillover of any destabilization in Caracas. As a taste of what may come, a short🧵on the changing armed group dynamics along the 2,200km border 👇 www.crisisgroup.org/latin-americ...

Mexico’s most powerful drug cartels, in an arms race with authorities and each other, are amassing military-grade weapons. www.nytimes.com/2025/09/01/w...

Rubio endured months of humiliation for this bit of gunboat diplomacy. www.barrons.com/news/maduro-...

Human Rights Watch is hiring a senior researcher for its U.S. immigrant rights program. Not many non-newsroom jobs are this similar to the day to day work of journalism. If you’re a journalist and considering getting out, seriously take a look. job-boards.greenhouse.io/humanrightsw...

This week, Bogotá hosts the Amazon Dialogues, where Amazon governments convene to discuss main challenges. With our journalistic partners and @amazonwatch.org, we have publications lined up about the Amazon's most disputed borderlands and why this should be on the political agenda. Stay tuned!

Contrary to widespread misunderstanding (including within the USG), the designation of cartels as foreign terrorist organizations doesn’t authorize the use of military force. www.politico.com/newsletters/...

Las consecuencias del auge minero en el sur de Venezuela han sido nefastas. Los grupos criminales y rebeldes que controlan las minas someten a la población local y a los trabajadores migrantes a abusos, explotación e incluso ejecuciones sumarias.

El presidente Donald Trump ha firmado en secreto una directiva dirigida al Pentágono para que comience a utilizar la fuerza militar contra los cárteles de la droga latinoamericanos que su gobierno ha considerado organizaciones terroristas.

Now that U.S. officials have wrapped up their visit to Potemkin aid distribution sites in Gaza, the IDF can resume the regularly scheduled shooting of desperate people seeking food.

Los precios récord del oro hacen que la minería ilegal sea más rentable que nunca, y en la Amazonía venezolana esto no solo significa que el crimen organizado aprovecha, sino también las autoridades estatales. Nuestro nuevo informe de @crisisgroup.org 🇻🇪⛏️ www.crisisgroup.org/es/latin-ame...

Record gold prices have made illegal mining more profitable than ever. In the Venezuelan Amazon, this means not only organized crime is capitalizing, but state authorities like the army are involved as well. Our new @crisisgroup.org briefing 🇻🇪⛏️ www.crisisgroup.org/latin-americ...

Given the emerging accounts of abuse from the Venezuelan men recently freed from CECOT, re-posting my analysis from @justsecurity.org on the the assurances the US sought and received from El Salvador to supposedly guard against such mistreatment. All a charade. www.justsecurity.org/117271/us-el...

So much for the Trump administration’s claim it lacked any control over the migrants renditioned to El Salvador. www.nytimes.com/2025/07/18/w...

The new chief justice of Mexico's Supreme Court started life as a goatherd in a remote Mixtec-speaking village in Oaxaca. I interviewed Hugo Aguilar Ortiz for this story: www.nytimes.com/2025/06/23/w...

📖 En el escenario mundial, Trump no siempre consigue lo que quiere En este comentario, nuestra presidenta y CEO, @comfortero.crisisgroup.org, y nuestro vicepresidente ejecutivo, Richard Atwood, analizan la política exterior de la segunda administración Trump hasta la fecha 🔽

🕯️ Hoy recordamos a Miguel Ángel López Velasco, quien firmaba columnas y era conocido como Milo Vela. Más de 30 años ejerciendo el periodismo, muchos en Notiver. Asesinado junto a su esposa e hijo el 20 de junio de 2011 en #Veracruz

Once again: Not his decision to make. The U.S. Constitution assigns that decision to Congress.

La comida es poder y está en el centro de la guerra de Israel. La supervivencia de Gaza requiere poner fin tanto a la guerra como a la política de inanición que Israel considera esencial para la victoria.

Fue para nosotros @latam.crisisgroup.org un gusto de participar en la reunión annual de #ElPaccto, conversando sobre el desafío compartido del crimen organizado, América Latina y la Unión Europea🇪🇺. Enfatizamos la importancia de priorizar la reducción de violencia contra la población civil

Of the conflicts Trump pledged to resolve (Gaza, Ukraine & Iran) only in Tehran does the leadership seem to share his desire for a deal. If he fails to stop Israel-Iran hostilities escalating, consequences of 🇺🇸 getting embroiled could overshadow his presidency. www.crisisgroup.org/middle-east-...

Shared some thoughts on the deployment of military counter-UAV assets to the border. “It has to be seen in the broader context of the administration trying to cast immigration in military or counterterrorism terms.” taskandpurpose.com/tech-tactics...

Shouting "I want a public trial," Ruth Lopez is brought by police to her initial hearing in a court in El Salvador midday today. The judge overseeing the case has placed the entire proceedings under seal to prevent any public disclosure of the case against the anti-corruption lawyer.

Los resultados de las elecciones del 25 de mayo en #Venezuela fueron peores de lo que muchos anticipaban para las figuras de la oposición que participaron. De las cuatro gobernaciones que estaban en manos de la oposición, tres pasaron al oficialismo.

Mexico's judicial election results are trickling in. So far we know Supreme Court votes. Full results, including all judges, will be tallied only until next week. Noticing two things: (1) Ruling party, MORENA, is poised to control the Supreme Court with most of the future justices with party ties.

NYT coverage of the arrest of anti-corruption and human rights lawyer Ruth Lopez www.nytimes.com/2025/05/19/w...

🚨🇸🇻 La defensora de derechos humanos Ruth López fue detenida arbitrariamente anoche en #ElSalvador. Estuvo incomunicada durante horas. WOLA y otras organizaciones condenan su detención y exigen su liberación inmediata. Lea el comunicado completo ⬇️ www.wola.org/es/2025/05/e...

Las opiniones en la Casa Blanca parecen divididas en cuanto a si la cooperación con México en materia de migración y seguridad es más importante que convertir al país en un campo de batalla, sin su consentimiento. www.crisisgroup.org/es/global-un...

Given the discussion in yesterday's Alien Enemies Act hearing before Judge Boasberg about the US-El Salvador deal and whether the US government retains constructive custody over migrants renditioned to CECOT, reposting this piece from earlier this week.

“Estamos viviendo una de las épocas de mayores retrocesos para los derechos humanos. Sobre todo, porque no advertimos que el sistema internacional esté lo suficientemente fuerte para dar estas peleas”. —Andrea Pochak vicepresidenta primera de la CIDH. elpais.com/america/2025...

The Trump administration's actions toward some news outlets "paint a really alarming picture of deteriorating media freedom in the U.S.," says Katherine Jacobsen of the Committee to Protect Journalists. By @obedmanuel.bsky.social and @michelmartinnpr.bsky.social

This powerful article by @crisisgroup.org analyst @dickinsonbeth.bsky.social describes how children are recruited as foot soldiers by armed groups in #Colombia. A recent clash between groups left nearly two dozen dead; a third of those killed were younger than 18.

El Salvador's President Bukele is reportedly preparing to arrest the journalists who have reported on the secret deals Bukele struck with Salvadoran gangs that have enabled his consolidation of power.

Great deep dive. Met Jeff Smith at a State Department function, but had no idea of his efforts on this case. Well worth a read, particularly given the renewed prominence of the U.S.-Salvadoran security partnership.

“Trump and his team have far-reaching ambitions about reordering the world. The first 100 days have surpassed even some of the sweeping analyses of what to expect.” We take stock of President Donald Trump's second term so far. www.crisisgroup.org/global-unite...

Look, there may not be any toys on the shelves for your children’s Christmas this year due to tariffs, but have thought of giving them Ebola instead?

One big takeaway from this article is that the Salvadoran government seemed more concerned about arbitrarily detaining people renditioned from US than the Trump admin. Also supports my suspicion that the TdA arrangement was done through exchange of diplomatic notes. www.nytimes.com/2025/04/30/u...

One hundred days into the second Trump administration, Latin America has assumed exceptional prominence in U.S. foreign policy 🔽 www.crisisgroup.org/global-unite...

Check out @CrisisGroup’s region by region breakdown of how Trump’s first 100 days were seen around the world … www.crisisgroup.org/global-unite...

A Haitian woman who was among those held in allegedly inhumane conditions has died after more than 10 weeks in immigration custody. At least six others have died in ICE custody in fiscal 2025, which began in October, ICE data shows.

Reality TV war on terror. Torture porn. Reminds me of videos jihadis release celebrating detainee abuse. Disgusting and reprehensible. (Remember next time the Trump administration invokes classification or state’s secrets in connection with its rendition/disappearance program with El Salvador.)

Don't miss this new Q&A by my colleague @dmoravera.bsky.social about the state of US-Mexico relations.

El presidente de Colombia, Gustavo Petro, denuncia que al menos 27 policías y militares de Colombia han sido asesinados en el país durante las últimas dos semanas.

In El Salvador, nearly 1 in every 50 people is imprisoned.

Can Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum implement her own security strategy and respond to Trump's capricious decisions at the same time? Mexico analyst @dmoravera.bsky.social explains the dilemma. www.crisisgroup.org/latin-americ...

Cooperation with our southern neighbors on migration is far more significant to stemming border crossings than any silly wall. And if the Trump administration actually does decide to do GWOT in Mexico, that will not exactly be conducive to bilateral cooperation on migration.