Feature – Stopping the spread of political assassinations and gang violence

ST. JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – The saying, coined by the Latin poet Horace, that “you too are in danger when your neighbor’s house is on fire” is particularly relevant now about Latin American countries which are the closest neighbors to the member states of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).

There has been a marked increase in deadly violent incidents in Latin America linked to organized criminal gangs. This includes the assassination of the leading candidate in Ecuador’s presidential elections and the murder of two other politicians over the last month.

Fernando Villavicencio was assassinated on August 9, eleven days before the 2023 Ecuadorian general election on August 20, at which he was polling in second place to win the presidential contest. He was fearless against organized crime and corruption, which have increased dramatically over the last three years. He was shot in broad daylight.

It is generally accepted in Ecuador that Villavicencio was the victim of organized criminals who feared he would crack down upon their activities if he won the presidency. Ecuadorian police reported 3,568 violent deaths between January and July this year. Some neighborhoods are outgunned and unprepared, and unpaid police dare not enter.

According to the International Crisis Group (ICG), violence in Argentina, Costa Rica, Panama, and Paraguay has also increased. The ICG reports, “Even in Chile and Uruguay, long considered bastions of regional calm, crime is skyrocketing. In 2022 alone, murders in Chile increased by 32%, reaching a record high. Similarly, incidents of rape and the illegal use of firearms rose. In Uruguay, a transit nation for cocaine smuggling, a surge in crime last year saw a 25% increase in murders. Feeding the region’s epidemic of violence is the unchecked flow and circulation of illegal weapons.”.

In Mexico, the number of criminal groups doubled between 2010 and 2020. In El Salvador, over the last two years, the government of President Nayib Bukele locked up more than 70,000 persons with what has been described as “little semblance of due process.” The purpose was to eliminate criminal gangs that have tormented the country for years.

The governments of the neighboring states of Honduras and Guatemala have praised the El Salvador model as one “worth emulating.” Honduras President Xiomara Castro announced her crackdown on gangs.

Both the governments of El Salvador and Honduras have been criticized for human rights abuses in these responses to violence and crime. But analysts say that the security situation is “pretty dire”; therefore, the general population recognizes human rights abuses in El Salvador, “People are so sick of crime that they’re willing to sacrifice democracy or personal freedoms if it means that they can sleep easy at night.”

These events in Latin America are taking place in the CARICOM neighborhood; it would be foolhardy to ignore them or to pretend that Latin America is some distant part of the world that matters little. Latin America envelopes the Caribbean, bound by shared waters.

Crime, particularly involving gangs linked to drug and human trafficking, knows no borders. Much like infectious diseases, it can spread unchecked across nations. Scholarly research shows that organized crime enterprises are far better funded and organized than the CARICOM countries’ law enforcement agencies combined. In this connection, it is time that the Caribbean pays serious attention to Latin America, not only for occasional forays into trade and tourism opportunities but to safeguard against the spread of crime, which now terrorizes people and murders politicians and government officials who stand in their way.

The limited attention to Latin America is evident in the Caribbean media’s lackluster reportage and commentary. Such events reported in the press, radio, and television are captured from the Internet or international broadcasters such as CNN and the BBC. Consequently, the Caribbean public receives news of Latin America that CNN and the BBC deem essential or relevant.

In any event, CARICOM countries cannot ignore matters in neighboring states in Latin America, particularly as connections, through modern-day technology, are being freely used by criminal elements to organize and strengthen their networks. This begs the question concerning the structured links between law enforcement agencies in Latin America and CARICOM.

Through several of its programs, the OAS offers the opportunity for discussion and formulation of actions by law enforcement bodies throughout the hemisphere. While the OAS forum is beneficial, it should not be the only means by which the burgeoning problems of crime, gangs, and violence are addressed between Latin American and Caribbean authorities.

Much more is needed; the fire is raging in some Latin American states and blazing in Haiti. The Caribbean must try to stop the spread before it happens. This requires national and regional attention by governments and law enforcement agencies within CARICOM. Still, it also needs a structured relationship with Latin American states to learn from their experiences and exchange information.

*(The writer is Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the United States and the Organization of American States. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies. The views expressed are entirely his own).