The Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) is pleased to share our newest publication, “Waiting for Change.”

Documenting the complexities and disappointments of the Obama Administration’s relations with Latin America in its first year, the report focuses on U.S. military relationships with the region. It recognizes that an underlying trend toward greater militarization of U.S. foreign policy spans Democratic and Republican administrations alike.

The report offers recommendations for a better path forward, calling for a renewed focus on diplomatic engagement, less emphasis on military-to-military ties, and greater transparency and consultation about U.S. military intentions with the region.

“Waiting for Change” is the most recent publication by Just the Facts, a joint project of the Latin America Working Group Education Fund, the Center for International Policy, and WOLA. It is the latest in a series of reports documenting trends in U.S. security assistance to Latin America and the Caribbean.

It is our pleasure to share with you a new report from the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA).  Development First: A More Humane and Promising Approach to Reducing Cultivation of Crops for Illicit Markets surveys the evidence on coca and opium crop reduction efforts over the years, and identifies ten lessons to help shape more successful, less harmful policies.

Despite billions of dollars spent on aggressive crop eradication efforts, overall coca and poppy production has remained robust, and cocaine and heroin prices on U.S. streets have fallen sharply since the early 1980s.  For two decades, the area under coca cultivation in the Andean region has hovered near 200,000 hectares, according to official U.S. estimates. 

The evident failure of crop eradication campaigns to achieve sustainable reductions in coca and poppy cultivation is prompting an increased emphasis on creating viable, legal livelihoods that allow farmers to transition away from a reliance on coca and poppy crops.  We hope that Development First will contribute toward this long overdue shift to a more promising approach.

The report argues that proper sequencing is crucial to sustainable success in curbing cultivation of crops for illicit markets:  development must come first.  Eradication campaigns are counter-productive unless alternative livelihoods for growers are already firmly in place.  Moreover, development policies must be conceived and implemented in genuine cooperation with the affected farmers and their communities.

Take a moment to look at WOLA's 2008 Annual Report.

To read the report click here.

Protect and Serve? The Status of Police Reform in Central America

This report paints a portrait of the police in Central America today. It draws on interviews conducted by in-country experts with government officials, current and former police, representatives of international aid agencies, and civil society leaders in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. Beginning with the reforms that emerged from the peace and political transition processes in the region, the report analyzes the current state of police reform processes, particularly in Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, with a lesser focus on Nicaragua.

Each section examines a key aspect of the creation of professional police forces, including (a) police recruitment, selection, and training, (b) police leadership, (c) internal controls and disciplinary mechanisms, (d) external controls, (e) criminal investigation, and (f) community policing. Clearly, these are not the only areas of concern; important issues that remain outside the scope of this report include, among others, the organization of police forces, the deployment of preventive police, and command and control structures. Each thematic section evaluates the advances, setbacks, and failures in individual countries with respect to the issue in question. Overall, the report highlights the challenges that these countries must meet as they seek to build modern and democratic police forces and provide for the security of their citizens. It concludes with recommendations for actions by the countries of the region and for the role that the international community can and should play to support these efforts.

To download the Executive Summary, click here .

The full report is available by clicking "Download" below.