Violence has spiked and people are dying gruesome, preventable deaths in Central America, Mexico, and elsewhere as a result of U.S. consumer tastes. Blood diamonds? No, conflict drugs, writes COA's Eric Farnsworth for The Huffington Post.
Security & Defense
Mexican bloggers are under attack for using social media to report drug related crimes. The Washington Post refers to Americas Quarterly's recount of civilians in dangerous areas of the country using Twitter to denounce crimes.
AS/COA Miami Manager Madeleine Johnson spoke with Felipe Bosch Gutiérrez, board member of Corporación Multi-Inversiones, regarding the current security situation in Guatemala and the outlook for September presidential elections.
COA's Eric Farnsworth writes in a letter to the Financial Times that drug-related violence in Central America "is not just a security threat, it is also a growing threat to democracy itself."
"We are losing Central America. It's time to fight to win it back," writes COA's Eric Farnsworth in The Miami Herald.
The Obama administration announced it would require arms dealers in Southwest border states to report on multiple sales of certain assault rifles. The move, designed to help slow arms trafficking to Mexico, will likely face legal challenges.
This AS/COA roundtable sought to raise awareness of the security challenges faced by human rights groups, migrants, and journalists in Mexico and steps to address their safety.