Mexican security forces detained a top gang figure last week. But the victory came at a cost when cartel members staged violent attacks. The government said the strikes constitute short-lived acts of revenge and that it would not negotiate with cartels.

With an eye to the recent conflict in Peru's Amazon region, the Council of the Americas hosted a June 18 briefing in Washington by Peru’s Ambassador to the U.S. Luis Valdivieso.

In an AQ web exclusive, Lila Barrera-Hernández spells out the details surrounding recent indigenous protests against government decrees on land use and resources in the Peruvian Amazon region of Bagua.

On his way to the Summit of the Americas, President Barack Obama makes his first Latin American visit when he travels to Mexico this week. Security will likely be the main focus as he meets with counterpart Felipe Calderón, even as Mexico experiences a drop in violence connected to organized crime.

Security rose to the top of the agenda during Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s visit to Mexico, where she acknowledged the role of American guns and drug consumption in Mexico’s struggle against organized crime.

The Obama administration unveiled a multiagency plan to ramp up security along the U.S.-Mexican border. The initiative, which involves bilateral coordination, comes on the eve of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's visit to Mexico.

On the eve of Secretary Hillary Clinton's trip to Mexico, an AS/COA panel examined bilateral approaches to solve security issues and overcome financial concerns. Mexican Ambassador to the U.S. Arturo Sarukhán and former U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Jim Jones participated.