All Content: organized crime

Public Security in El Salvador: Civilian Leadership and the Challenges Ahead

The Constitutional Court’s Dismissal of Generals Munguía Payés and Salinas
21 May 2013
Analysis & Commentary
On Friday, May 17, the Constitutional Chamber of El Salvador’s Supreme Court affirmed that the appointment of former General David Munguía Payés as Minister of Justice and Public Security and former General Francisco Salinas as director of the National Civilian Police violated the constitutional requirement that these posts be held by civilians.

WOLA Q&A on President Obama's Visit to Mexico

Presidential Visit Attempts to Shift the Narrative, But What Has Really Changed?
30 Apr 2013
News

One Year into the Gang Truce in El Salvador

Can the Funes Administration Turn the Fragile Truce into Sustainable Public Policy?
26 Apr 2013
Analysis & Commentary
In March 2012, authorities in El Salvador facilitated a truce between the country’s two largest street gangs, MS-13 and the 18th Street gang. Homicide rates began to drop quickly after the truce was announced, going from around 14 murders a day to about five, and to many observers’ surprise, the truce has now lasted over a year.

U.S. and International NGOs Request That President Obama Meet with Mexican Civil Society

25 Apr 2013
News
Earlier this week, WOLA, LAWG, and PBI sent a letter to President Obama requesting that he include a meeting with members of Mexican civil society during his upcoming visit to Mexico in order to consider human rights concerns from a non-governmental perspective.

As President Obama Heads to Mexico, Members of Congress Express Concern over Human Rights

Bipartisan letter calls for renewed attention to abuses
25 Apr 2013
News
On April 23, 24 members of Congress sent a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry expressing their concern about the persistence of grave human rights violations in Mexico and urging the administration to make the defense of human rights a central part of the U.S.-Mexico bilateral agenda.

U.S. Congress Supports Peace in Colombia

18 Apr 2013
Analysis & Commentary
In a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry, 62 members of Congress call for U.S. policy to support peace with justice as the country continues negotiations to end its internal conflict.

Mexico’s New Military Police Force: The Continued Militarization of Public Security in Mexico

13 Mar 2013
Analysis & Commentary
Maureen Meyer examines Mexico's proposed gendarmerie—a force to be made up of tens of thousands of former soldiers—and its potential implications for human rights.

Notes from Tijuana

WOLA staff notes on citizen security, border security and migration in the border city
27 Feb 2013
Analysis & Commentary
Why is Tijuana safer? Why is migration down? Is the U.S. border-security approach effective? Some impressions after a brief visit to the border city

Tracking International Anti-Crime and Violence Prevention Efforts in Central America

31 Jan 2013
Publication
The Mapping of Internationally-Funded Citizen Security Projects in Central America is a joint initiative of WOLA and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to monitor international assistance from multilateral institutions, donor governments, and private foundations to support anti-crime and violence reduction programs in Central America.

Keep the Rule of Law and Human Rights on the Binational Agenda with Mexico

Priority issues to address in the November 27 meeting between President Obama and president-elect Peña Nieto
26 Nov 2012
News

WOLA's Human Rights Awards Highlight Strategies to Reduce Violence in Latin America

19 Sep 2012
News
Today, September 19, 2012, WOLA honors Helen Mack, El Faro, and PASSOS Education and Training Center for their work at the front lines of citizen security in Central America.

Press Conference: Mexican Victims of Drug War Violence Speak Out

10 Sep 2012
News
On September 10, the Mexican Caravan for Peace arrived in Washington, DC on the last stop of its 25-city journey across the United States to call for an end to the failed drug war that has devastated individuals, families, and entire communities on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border.

Ambulante Film Festival Border Series

29 Aug 2012
Video
The Ambulante Film Festival Border Series is heading to Tijuana and San Diego, where Actor Diego Luna and WOLA will discuss arms trafficking and gun control in a distinguished panel. The panel will follow a screening of the movie "Gunfight", which analyzes gun ownership in the United States.

Brazilian Citizen Security Policies: Variety of Experiences Useful in Regional Debates

22 Aug 2012
Analysis & Commentary
Brazil, like many countries in Latin America, has struggled over the last 20 years with how to effectively address high levels of crime and violence.

Release of Suspected Drug Trafficker in Honduras Raises Questions about Corruption in Honduras and El Salvador

10 Aug 2012
Analysis & Commentary
The arrest and subsequent release of suspected drug trafficker Chepe Luna in Honduras this week has led many to question the commitment of the Honduran and Salvadoran governments to combating organized crime.

U.S. Guns: The Awful, Shocking Truth

2 Aug 2012
Video
The tragedy in Newtown has caused many to question whether it makes sense to allow the purchase of military-style assault rifles. What a lot of people don’t know is that these rifles are also the weapons of choice among ruthless Mexican drug cartels. In the last 5 years, nearly 60,000 people have lost their lives in Mexico’s wave of violence.

Security and U.S. Policy in Honduras

A conversation with Mark Ungar
18 Jul 2012
Publication
Adam talks to Professor Mark Ungar of Brooklyn College's Ph.D. Program in Criminal Justice about crime, narcotrafficking, U.S. policy and the challenges of police and judicial reform in Honduras.

U.S. State Department Releases Country Reports on Human Rights

WOLA: U.S. Policy Contradicts Analysis of Violations
24 May 2012
News
Today, the U.S. Department of State released its Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. As has been the case in recent years, these reports are generally accurate in portraying the state of human rights in Latin America. The larger question, though, is whether the State Department will base U.S. foreign policy on its own analysis.

WOLA Testifies at Congressional Hearing on Human Rights in Mexico

Senior Associate Maureen Meyer on the deterioration of human rights in the context of Mexico's struggle against organized crime.
10 May 2012
News

Confronting Drugs, Violence, and Organized Crime: In Response to The New York Times Online Debate on Military Roles

10 May 2012
Analysis & Commentary
The New York Times recently hosted an online debate on the use of the military in the war on drugs, particularly in Honduras. Some of the guest writers argue for the use of the military and most argue for a blended force of military and police, without looking at the history of U.S. involvement in Latin America.

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