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Latin America and the Caribbean: Illicit Drug Trafficking and U.S. Counterdrug Programs [May 12, 2011]
"Drug trafficking is viewed as a primary threat to citizen security and U.S. interests in Latin America and the Caribbean despite decades of anti-drug efforts by the United States and partner governments. The production and trafficking of popular illicit drugs - cocaine, marijuana, opiates, and methamphetamine - generate a multi-billion dollar black market in which Latin American criminal and terrorist organizations thrive. These groups challenge state authority in source and transit countries where governments are often fragile and easily corrupted. Mexican drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) largely control the U.S. illicit drug market and have been identified by the U.S. Department of Justice as the 'greatest organized crime threat to the United States.' Drug trafficking-related crime and violence in the region has escalated in recent years, raising the drug issue to the forefront of U.S. foreign policy concerns. [...] Congress has influenced U.S. drug control policy in Latin America by appropriating certain types and levels of funding for counterdrug assistance programs and conditioning the provision of antidrug funding on the basis of human rights and other reporting requirements. Congress has also sought to ensure that counterdrug programs are implemented in tandem with judicial reform, anti-corruption, and human rights programs. The 112th Congress has held hearings evaluating drug assistance programs and related domestic initiatives and border security efforts. This report provides an overview of the drug flows in the Americas and U.S. antidrug assistance programs in the region. It also raises some policy issues for Congress to consider as it exercises oversight of U.S. antidrug programs and policies in the Western Hemisphere."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Wyler, Liana Sun; Seelke, Clare Ribando; Beittel, June S.
2011-05-12
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Chile Earthquake: U.S. and International Response [March 11, 2010]
"On February 27, 2010, an earthquake of magnitude 8.8 struck off the coast of central Chile. Centered 70 miles northeast of Chile's second-largest city, Concepción, at a depth of 22 miles, the earthquake was the second largest ever recorded in Chile and the fifth largest recorded worldwide since 1900. Over 100 aftershocks of magnitude 5.0 or greater were recorded following the initial earthquake. The earthquake and subsequent tsunami, which struck Chile's coast roughly 20 minutes after the earthquake and moved 2,000 feet onto shore in some places, devastated parts of the country. Although there are reports of varying casualty numbers, according to Chile's Ministry of the Interior, the official death toll is 507 (497 bodies have been identified; 10 remain unidentified). [...]. On February 27, 2010, President Barack Obama announced that the U.S. government would assist with earthquake rescue and recovery efforts, pending a request from the Chilean Government. On February 28, 2010, U.S. Ambassador to Chile Paul E. Simons issued a disaster declaration, and through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA), authorized $50,000 for the initial implementation of an emergency response program. OFDA deployed a 16-member USAID Disaster Assistance Response Team. As of March 10, 2010, USAID/OFDA reports that it has provided $10.7 million for emergency response activities in Chile. The U.S. Department of Defense is also providing limited assistance. Policy issues of potential interest include levels of U.S. assistance to Chile, burdensharing and donor fatigue, tsunamis and early warning systems, and managing risk through building codes."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Margesson, Rhoda; Beittel, June S.
2010-03-11
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Colombia: Issues for Congress [April 23, 2010]
"Since the development of Plan Colombia in 1999, the Colombian government has stepped up its counternarcotics and security efforts. The U.S. Congress has provided more than $7 billion to support Colombia from FY2000 through FY2010. In October 2009, Colombia and the United States signed a defense agreement that provides U.S. access to Colombian military bases for counter-terrorism and security-related operations for the next decade. The improving security conditions in the country and the weakening of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrillas are cited as evidence that the strategy is working by supporters. Critics, however, argue that while pursuing these security improvements, U.S. policy has not rigorously promoted human rights, provided for sustainable economic alternatives for drug crop farmers, or reduced the amount of drugs available in the United States. […]. While acknowledging the progress in security conditions in Colombia, some Members of Congress have expressed concerns about labor activist killings and labor rights in Colombia; extrajudicial killings of Colombian civilians by the Colombian military; the para-political scandal (linking Colombian politicians with paramilitaries); and the domestic security agency (DAS) scandal concerning unauthorized spying on President Uribe's political opponents and human rights activists. These concerns have delayed consideration of the pending U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement (CFTA). President Obama in his State of the Union address in January 2010 supported strengthening trade ties with Colombia, but prospects for the CFTA in the 111th Congress remain uncertain."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Beittel, June S.
2010-04-23
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Latin America and the Caribbean: Illicit Drug Trafficking and U.S. Counterdrug Programs [April 30, 2010]
"Drug trafficking is viewed as a primary threat to citizen security and U.S. interests in Latin America and the Caribbean despite decades of anti-drug efforts by the United States and partner governments. The production and trafficking of popular illicit drugs--cocaine, marijuana, opiates, and methamphetamine--generates a multi-billion dollar black market in which Latin American criminal and terrorist organizations thrive. These groups challenge state authority in source and transit countries where governments are often fragile and easily corrupted. Mexican drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) largely control the U.S. illicit drug market and have been identified by the U.S. Department of Justice as the 'greatest organized crime threat to the United States.' […]. Congress has also conditioned the provision of antidrug funding on the basis of human rights and other reporting requirements. It has sought to ensure that counterdrug programs are implemented in tandem with judicial reform, anti-corruption, and human rights programs. Several bills address counternarcotics issues in the region, including House-passed H.R. 2410 (Berman), House-passed H.R. 2134 (Engel) and S. 3172 (Menendez). Congress has been active in evaluating drug assistance programs through multiple oversight hearings. This report provides an overview of the drug flows in the Americas and U.S. antidrug assistance programs in the region. It also raises some policy issues for Congress to consider as it exercises oversight of U.S. antidrug programs and policies in the Western Hemisphere."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Wyler, Liana Sun; Seelke, Clare Ribando; Beittel, June S.
2010-04-30
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Latin America and the Caribbean: Illicit Drug Trafficking and U.S. Counterdrug Programs [January 25, 2011]
This Congressional Research Service (CRS) report "provides an overview of the drug flows in the Americas and U.S. antidrug assistance programs in the region. It also raises some policy issues for Congress to consider as it exercises oversight of U.S. antidrug programs and policies in the Western Hemisphere. [...]. Drug trafficking is viewed as a primary threat to citizen security and U.S. interests in Latin America and the Caribbean despite decades of anti-drug efforts by the United States and partner governments. The production and trafficking of popular illicit drugs--cocaine, marijuana, opiates, and methamphetamine--generates a multi-billion dollar black market in which Latin American criminal and terrorist organizations thrive. These groups challenge state authority in source and transit countries where governments are often fragile and easily corrupted. Mexican drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) largely control the U.S. illicit drug market and have been identified by the U.S. Department of Justice as the 'greatest organized crime threat to the United States.' Drug trafficking-related crime and violence in the region has escalated in recent years, raising the drug issue to the forefront of U.S. foreign policy concerns. [...]. Congress has influenced U.S. drug control policy in Latin America by appropriating certain types and levels of funding for counterdrug assistance programs and conditioning the provision of antidrug funding on the basis of human rights and other reporting requirements. Congress has also sought to ensure that counterdrug programs are implemented in tandem with judicial reform, anti-corruption, and human rights programs."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Wyler, Liana Sun; Seelke, Clare Ribando; Beittel, June S.
2011-01-25
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Mexico's Drug Trafficking Organizations: Source and Scope of the Rising Violence [January 7, 2011]
"In Mexico, the violence generated by drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) in recent years has been, according to some, unprecedented. In 2006, Mexico's newly elected President Felipe Calderón launched an aggressive campaign--an initiative that has defined his administration-- against the DTOs that has been met with a violent response from the DTOs. Government enforcement efforts have had successes in removing some of the key leaders in all of the seven major DTOs. However, these efforts have led to violent succession struggles within the DTOs themselves. In July 2010, the Mexican government announced that more than 28,000 people had been killed in drug trafficking-related violence since December 2006, when President Calderón came to office. […] The growing security crisis in Mexico, including the March 13, 2010, killing of three individuals connected to the U.S. consulate in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico (two of the victims were U.S. citizens), has drawn the attention of the U.S. Congress and has raised concerns about the stability of a strategic partner and neighbor. Congress is also concerned about the possibility of 'spillover' violence along the U.S. border and further inland. The 111th Congress held more than 20 hearings dealing with the violence in Mexico, U.S. foreign assistance, and border security issues. The 112th Congress is likely to be interested in progress made by the Calderón government in quelling the violence and asserting its authority in DTO strongholds, and in the implications for the United States. Members are also likely to continue to conduct close oversight of U.S.-Mexico security cooperation and other related bilateral issues."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Beittel, June S.
2011-01-07
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Mexico-U.S. Relations: Issues for Congress [February 3, 2010]
"The United States and Mexico have a close and complex bilateral relationship, with extensive economic linkages as neighbors and partners under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Bilateral relations are characterized by strong commercial and cultural ties and cooperation on a range of bilateral and international issues. In recent years, security issues have dominated the bilateral agenda, as the United States has supported Mexican President Felipe Calderón's campaign against drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) and organized crime. […] During its second session, the 111th Congress is likely to maintain an active interest in Mexico with counternarcotics, border, and trade issues dominating the agenda. To date, Congress has appropriated some $1.3 billion in assistance for Mexico under the Mérida Initiative, an anti-crime and counterdrug package first funded in FY2008, including $210.3 million in the FY2010 Consolidated Appropriations Act (P.L. 111-117). Congress is likely to maintain a keen interest in how implementation of the Mérida Initiative and related domestic initiatives to improve border security are proceeding, particularly as it considers the President's FY2011 budget request, which includes at least $341 million in assistance to Mexico, including $310 million in assistance accounts that have funded the Mérida Initiative. Congress may also be interested in how the Obama Administration moves to resolve the current trucking dispute with Mexico now that P.L. 111-117 would permit the resumption of a U.S.-funded pilot program for Mexican trucks. Congress may also consider proposals for comprehensive immigration reform."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Sullivan, Mark P.; Seelke, Clare Ribando; Beittel, June S.
2010-02-03
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Mexico's Drug-Related Violence [May 27, 2009]
"Drug-related violence in Mexico has spiked in recent years as drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) have competed for control of smuggling routes into the United States. [...] President Felipe Calderón... [has] made battling the Mexican drug trafficking organizations a top priority. [...] In response to the government's crackdown, the DTOs have responded with escalating violence. [...] The government's intensified campaign against the DTOs resulted in changes in the structure of these criminal organizations. The seven major DTOs in Mexico have reconfigured. The fracturing of some of the most powerful drug trafficking syndicates and the reemergence of once powerful DTOs have led to bloody conflict within and among the DTOs. [...] In October 2007, [the U.S. and Mexico] announced the Mérida Initiative to combat drug trafficking, gangs and organized crime... To date, the U.S. Congress has appropriated a total of $700 million for Mexico under the Mérida Initiative. The program, which combines counternarcotics equipment and training with rule of law and justice reform efforts, is still in its initial stages of implementation. [...] This report examines the causes for the escalation of the violence in Mexico. It provides a brief overview of Mexico's counterdrug efforts, a description of the major DTOs, the causes and trends in the violence, the Calderón government's efforts to crackdown on the DTOs, and the objectives and implementation of the Mérida Initiative as a response to the violence in Mexico."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Beittel, June S.
2009-05-27
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Merida Initiative for Mexico and Central America: Funding and Policy Issues [June 1, 2009]
"Increasing violence perpetrated by drug trafficking organizations, gangs, and other criminal groups is threatening citizen security in Mexico and Central America. Drug-related violence claimed more than 5,300 lives in Mexico in 2008, and several Central American countries have some of the highest homicide rates in the world. Mexican drug cartels dominate the illicit drug market in most regions of the United States and are expanding their operations by forming partnerships with U.S. gangs. As a result, some of the drug-related violence in Mexico has begun to spillover into the United States. On October 22, 2007, the United States and Mexico announced the Mérida Initiative, a multi-year proposal for $1.4 billion in U.S. assistance to Mexico and Central America aimed at combating drug trafficking and organized crime. The Administration requested $500 million for Mexico and $50 million for Central America in FY2008 supplemental appropriations, and another $450 million for Mexico and $100 million for Central America in the FY2009 budget request. While the Bush Administration did not request any additional funding for domestic programs to complement the Mérida Initiative, U.S. officials pledged to step up efforts to prevent arms, precursor chemicals, and bulk cash flows from the United States into Mexico, and to reduce U.S. drug demand. [...]This report provides an overview of the funding provided for the Mérida Initiative and a discussion of some policy issues that Congress may consider as it oversees implementation of the Initiative. For related information, see CRS Report RL32724, Mexico-U.S. Relations: Issues for Congress, by Mark P. Sullivan and June S. Beittel. This report will be updated."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Seelke, Clare Ribando; Beittel, June S.
2009-06-01
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Mexico-U.S. Relations: Issues for Congress [Updated May 1, 2009]
"The United States and Mexico have a close and complex bilateral relationship, with extensive economic linkages as neighbors and partners under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Since 1994, trade between the countries has more than quadrupled. Bilateral relations are close, and characterized by extensive commercial and cultural ties and cooperation on a range of bilateral and international issues. A current trade dispute with the United States involves the implementation of NAFTA trucking provisions. In March 2009, Congress terminated a pilot-project for Mexican-registered trucks to operate beyond the 25-mile border commercial zone with the United States, and Mexico responded by imposing import tariffs on over 90 U.S. agricultural and industrial products. Drug trafficking issues are prominent in relations since Mexico is the leading transit country for cocaine, a leading supplier of methamphetamine and heroin, and the leading foreign supplier of marijuana. Shortly after taking office in December 2006, President Felipe Calderón launched operations against Mexican drug trafficking organizations. […]. U.S.-Mexican cooperation on drug trafficking has intensified over the past several years, and both countries announced the Mérida Initiative in October 2007 to combat drug trafficking, gangs, and organized crime in Mexico and Central America. […]. The 111th Congress is maintaining an active interest in Mexico with myriad counternarcotics, border, and trade issues dominating the agenda. To date, there have already been a dozen hearings dealing with the increased violence in Mexico as well as U.S. foreign assistance and border security efforts. Comprehensive immigration reform efforts once again could be considered in the 111th Congress."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Sullivan, Mark P.; Beittel, June S.
2009-05-01
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Mexico-U.S. Relations: Issues for Congress [May 13, 2009]
"The United States and Mexico have a close and complex bilateral relationship, with extensive economic linkages as neighbors and partners under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Bilateral relations are close, and characterized by extensive commercial and cultural ties and cooperation on a range of bilateral and international issues. A current bilateral dispute involves the implementation of NAFTA trucking provisions. In March 2009, Congress terminated a pilot-project for Mexican-registered trucks to operate beyond the border commercial zone, and Mexico responded by imposing import tariffs on over 90 U.S. agricultural and industrial products. […].President Barack Obama traveled to Mexico on April 16-17, 2009 to discuss cooperation in the fight against drug-related violence, immigration reform, and clean energy and climate change. This had been preceded by visits in March by Secretary of State Clinton, who discussed a broad range of bilateral issues, including Mérida Initiative cooperation, and Secretary of Homeland Security Napolitano, and Attorney General Eric Holder who emphasized new anti-crime efforts. On April 24, 2009, Mexico's Health Ministry announced an outbreak of a new influenza strain, subsequently dubbed influenza A(H1N1). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a travel health warning on April 27 advising U.S. citizens to avoid all nonessential travel to Mexico. The Calderón government took significant measures to combat the outbreak, which began to ease in early May 2009. The influenza outbreak will likely have a significant negative effect on the Mexican economy, which already has been experiencing a severe downturn because of the global financial crisis and U.S. recession."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Sullivan, Mark P.; Beittel, June S.
2009-05-13
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Mexico-U.S. Relations: Issues for Congress [April 14, 2009]
"The United States and Mexico have a close and complex bilateral relationship, with extensive economic linkages as neighbors and partners under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Since 1994, trade between the countries has more than quadrupled. Bilateral relations are close, and characterized by extensive commercial and cultural ties and cooperation on a range of bilateral and international issues. A current trade dispute with the United States involves the implementation of NAFTA trucking provisions. In March 2009, Congress terminated a pilot-project for Mexican-registered trucks to operate beyond the 25-mile border commercial zone with the United States, and Mexico responded by imposing import tariffs on over 90 U.S. agricultural and industrial products. Drug trafficking issues are prominent in relations since Mexico is the leading transit country for cocaine, a leading supplier of methamphetamine and heroin, and the leading foreign supplier of marijuana. Shortly after taking office in December 2006, President Felipe Calderón launched operations against Mexican drug trafficking organizations. […]. U.S.-Mexican cooperation on drug trafficking has intensified over the past several years, and both countries announced the Mérida Initiative in October 2007 to combat drug trafficking, gangs, and organized crime in Mexico and Central America. […]. The 111th Congress is maintaining an active interest in Mexico with myriad counternarcotics, border, and trade issues dominating the agenda. To date, there have already been a dozen hearings dealing with the increased violence in Mexico as well as U.S. foreign assistance and border security efforts. Comprehensive immigration reform efforts once again could be considered in the 111th Congress."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Sullivan, Mark P.; Beittel, June S.
2009-04-14
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Mexico's Drug-Related Violence [May 15, 2009]
"This report examines the causes for the escalation of the violence in Mexico. It provides a brief overview of Mexico's counterdrug efforts, a description of the major DTOs, the causes and trends in the violence, the Calderón government's efforts to crackdown on the DTOs, and the objectives and implementation of the Mérida Initiative and other measures the U.S. government has taken to support Mexico in its battle with the drug traffickers." According to the report, "drug-related violence in Mexico has spiked in recent years as drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) have competed for control of smuggling routes into the United States. Drug trafficking issues are prominent in Mexico because the country has for at least four decades been among the most important producers and suppliers of heroin, marijuana and (later) methamphetamine to the U.S. market. Today it is the leading source of all three drugs and is now the leading transit country for cocaine coming from South America to the United States. Although previous Mexican governments had accommodated some drug trafficking in the country, when President Felipe Calderón came into office in December 2006 he made battling the Mexican drug trafficking organizations a top priority. He has raised spending on security and sent thousands of troops and federal police to combat the DTOs in states along the U.S.-Mexico border and throughout the country. In response to the government's crackdown, the DTOs have responded with escalating violence."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Beittel, June S.
2009-05-15
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Colombia: Issues for Congress [November 13, 2009]
"Concerns in the 111th Congress regarding Colombia continue those of prior sessions: funding levels and U.S. policy regarding Plan Colombia, trade, and human rights. The FY2008 Consolidated Appropriations Act (P.L. 110-161) raised the level of U.S. funding provided for economic and social aid closer to that provided for security-related programs. Assistance for Plan Colombia appropriated in the FY2009 Omnibus Appropriations Act (P.L. 111-8) reflected the same balance and a slight increase over the prior year. While acknowledging the progress that the Uribe government has made in improving security conditions in Colombia, some Members of Congress have expressed concerns about labor activist killings, the para-political and DAS scandals, and the prospect of a third consecutive term for President Uribe, issues that have delayed consideration of the Colombia Free Trade Agreement (CFTA). In June 2009, President Obama met with President Uribe in Washington and discussed future cooperation and the CFTA."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Beittel, June S.
2009-11-13
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Latin America and the Caribbean: U.S. Policy and Key Issues for Congress in 2012 [February 14, 2012]
"This report provides an overview of U.S. policy toward Latin America and the Caribbean, including the Obama Administration's priorities for U.S. policy and a brief comparison of policies under the Obama and Bush Administrations. It then examines congressional interest in Latin America, first providing an overview, and then looking at selected countries and regional issues and identifying key policy issues facing Congress in 2012. The final section of the report analyzes several upcoming events in the region in 2012 that could have an impact on developments in several countries or on U.S. relations with the region: the Pope's upcoming trip to Cuba in March, the sixth Summit of the Americas in April, Mexico's elections in July, and Venezuela's elections in October. An appendix provides a listing of hearings in the 112th Congress focused on Latin America. For additional information, see the CRS Issues in Focus webpage on 'Latin America and the Caribbean.'"
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Sullivan, Mark P.; Beittel, June S.; Leland, Anne
2012-02-14
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Latin America and the Caribbean: Illicit Drug Trafficking and U.S. Counterdrug Programs [March 19, 2012]
"Drug trafficking is viewed as a primary threat to citizen security and U.S. interests in Latin America and the Caribbean despite decades of anti-drug efforts by the United States and partner governments. The production and trafficking of popular illicit drugs-cocaine, marijuana, opiates, and methamphetamine-generate a multi-billion dollar black market in which Latin American criminal and terrorist organizations thrive. These groups challenge state authority in source and transit countries where governments are often fragile and easily corrupted. According to the Department of Justice, Mexican drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) and their affiliates 'dominate the supply and wholesale distribution of most illicit drugs in the United States' and are solidifying that dominance. Drug trafficking-related crime and violence in the region has escalated in recent years, raising the drug issue to the forefront of U.S. foreign policy concerns. [...] This report provides an overview of the drug flows in the Americas and U.S. antidrug assistance programs in the region. It also raises some policy issues for Congress to consider as it exercises oversight of U.S. antidrug programs and policies in the Western Hemisphere."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Seelke, Clare Ribando; Wyler, Liana Sun; Beittel, June S.
2012-03-19
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Colombia: Issues for Congress [July 15, 2011]
"This report provides an overview of recent political developments in Colombia. It reviews the administration of President Uribe (2002-2010), the election of President Juan Manuel Santos, and his first year in office. The report then provides background on the long-standing conflict with internal armed groups that has marked Colombia's modern development, examining the roots of the conflict and its major actors as well as their present status. The report considers ongoing challenges such as human rights, demobilization and displacement, drug trends, and Colombia's regional relations. It outlines the National Consolidation Plan which updates Plan Colombia with a whole-of-government approach to eliminate the insurgency, and it describes the U.S.-Colombia Defense Cooperation Agreement. The report raises some of the major policy issues that the U.S. Congress has had, and will continue to pursue, in relation to U.S.-Colombia policy, such as the pending U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement. For more information on the pending agreement, see CRS Report RL34470, 'Proposed U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement: Background and Issues.'"
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Beittel, June S.
2011-07-15
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Mexico's Drug Trafficking Organizations: Source and Scope of the Rising Violence [September 7, 2011]
"The violence generated by Mexico's drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) in recent years has been unprecedented. In 2006, Mexico's newly elected President Felipe Calderón launched an aggressive campaign against the DTOsâ€"an initiative that has defined his administrationâ€"that has been met with a violent response from the DTOs. Government enforcement efforts have successfully removed some of the key leaders in all of the seven major DTOs, either through arrests or deaths in operations to detain them. However, these efforts have led to succession struggles within the DTOs themselves that generated more violence. According to the Mexican government's estimate, organized crime-related violence claimed more than 34,500 lives between January 2007 and December 2010. By conservative estimates, there have been an additional 8,000 homicides in 2011, increasing the number of deaths related to organized crime to over 40,000 since President Calderón came to office in late 2006. [...] This report provides background on drug trafficking in Mexico; identifies the major drug trafficking organizations; and analyzes the context, scope, and scale of the violence. It examines current trends of the violence, analyzes prospects for curbing violence in the future, and compares it with violence in Colombia."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Beittel, June S.
2011-09-07
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Mexico-U.S. Relations: Issues for Congress [December 18, 2008]
"The United States and Mexico have a close and complex bilateral relationship, with extensive economic linkages as neighbors and partners under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Since 1994, trade between the countries has tripled. Bilateral relations are generally friendly, although the U.S. enactment of border fence legislation in 2006 caused some tension in the relationship. Under the Bush Administration, the United States launched initiatives to combat drug trafficking, augment border security, and combat human smuggling. Drug trafficking issues are prominent in relations since Mexico is the leading transit country for cocaine, a leading supplier of methamphetamine and heroin, and the leading foreign supplier of marijuana to the United States. In October 2007, the United States and Mexico proposed the Mérida Initiative to combat drug trafficking, gangs, and organized crime in Mexico and Central America. [...]. An unexpected challenge for Calderón is the effect of the recent global financial crisis on the Mexican economy, which already has led to a decline in the stock market and the value of the peso. The 111th Congress will likely maintain an active interest in Mexico with myriad counternarcotics, migration, trade, and border issues dominating the agenda. Comprehensive immigration reform was debated early in the 110th Congress, but the issue was put aside following a failed cloture motion in the Senate on the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007 (S. 1348). Immigration reform efforts once again could be considered in the 111th Congress."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Sullivan, Mark P.; Beittel, June S.
2008-12-18
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Paraguay: Political and Economic Conditions and U.S. Relations [February 1, 2010]
"The United States and Paraguay cooperate in a number of areas but especially in the fight against corruption, and on anti-drug, counterterrorism and anti-smuggling initiatives. In 2006 and 2009, the United States and Paraguay signed two Millennium Challenge Corporation threshold agreements totaling more than $60 million dollars to combat corruption and strengthen the rule of law. Paraguay is a major transit country for cocaine and produces the largest crop of marijuana in South America. The United States remains concerned about illegal activities in the loosely controlled tri-border region with neighboring Brazil and Argentina, such as money-laundering, drugs and arms trafficking, and trade in counterfeit and contraband goods. The 111th Congress has expressed growing interest in Paraguay. In April 2009, two bills were introduced entitled the 'U.S.-Paraguay Partnership Act of 2009' (H.R. 1837 and S. 780). On September 14, 2009, the ATPDEA Expansion and Extension Act of 2009 (S. 1665) was introduced in the Senate. Each of these bills would amend the Andean Trade Promotion and Drug Eradication Act (Title XXXI of the Trade Act of 2002, P.L. 107-210) to extend unilateral trade preferences to Paraguay. Indicating additional interest in Paraguay, the House Democratic Partnership (formerly the House Democratic Assistance Commission) made a study trip to Paraguay in August 2009. Members of the eight-member delegation had discussions with the bicameral Congress and the executive about the need to work together to support democracy in Paraguay. This report examines recent political and economic developments in Paraguay and issues in U.S.- Paraguayan relations."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Beittel, June S.
2010-02-01
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Mexico's Drug Trafficking Organizations: Source and Scope of the Rising Violence [June 8, 2012]
"Violence has been an inherent feature of the trade in illicit drugs, but the violence generated by Mexico's drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) in recent years has been unprecedented and remarkably brutal. The tactics-including mass killings such as the widely reported massacres of young people and migrants, the use of torture and dismemberment, and the phenomena of car bombs-have led some analysts to speculate whether the violence has been transformed into something new, perhaps requiring a different set of policy responses. According to government and other data, the best estimates are that there have been slightly more than 50,000 homicides related to organized crime from December 2006 through December 2011. [...] This report provides background on drug trafficking in Mexico: it identifies the major DTOs; how the organized crime 'landscape' has been altered by fragmentation; and analyzes the context, scope, and scale of the violence. It examines current trends of the violence, analyzes prospects for curbing violence in the future, and compares it with violence in Colombia."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Beittel, June S.
2012-06-08
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Latin America and the Caribbean: U.S. Policy and Key Issues for Congress in 2012 [August 28, 2012]
"Geographic proximity has ensured strong linkages between the United States and the Latin American and Caribbean region, with diverse U.S. interests, including economic, political and security concerns. Current U.S. policy toward the region is focused on four priorities: promoting economic and social opportunity; ensuring citizen security; strengthening effective democratic institutions; and securing a clean energy future. There has been substantial continuity in U.S. policy toward the region under the Obama Administration, which has pursued some of the same basic policy approaches as the Bush Administration. Nevertheless, the Obama Administration has made several significant policy changes, including an overall emphasis on partnership and shared responsibility. U.S. policy toward the region must also contend with a Latin America that is becoming increasingly independent from the United States. Strong economic growth has increased Latin America's confidence in its ability to solve its own problems. The region has also diversified its economic and diplomatic ties with countries outside the region. Over the past few years, several Latin American regional organization organizations have been established that do not include the United States."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Sullivan, Mark P.; Beittel, June S.; Leland, Anne
2012-08-28
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Colombia: Issues for Congress [March 18, 2011]
"In recent years, Colombia, in close cooperation with the United States through a strategy known as Plan Colombia, has made significant progress in reestablishing government control over much of its territory, combating drug trafficking and terrorist activities, and reducing poverty. The improving security conditions and the weakening of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrillas are evidence that the strategy is working, according to supporters. Critics, however, argue that while pursuing these security gains, U.S. policy has not rigorously promoted human rights, provided for sustainable economic alternatives for drug crop farmers, or reduced the amount of drugs available in the United States. This report provides an overview of recent political developments in Colombia. It reviews the administration of President Uribe (2002-2010), continuing into the election of President Juan Manuel Santos and his first months in office. The report then provides background on the longstanding conflict with internal armed groups that has marked Colombia's modern development, examining the roots of the conflict and its major actors as well as their present status. The report considers ongoing challenges such as human rights, demobilization and displacement, drug trends, and Colombia's regional relations. It outlines the National Consolidation Plan which updates Plan Colombia with a whole-of-government approach to eliminate the insurgency, and it describes the U.S.-Colombia Defense Cooperation Agreement. The report raises some of the major policy issues that the U.S. Congress has had, and will continue to pursue, in relation to U.S.-Colombia policy, such as the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Beittel, June S.
2011-03-18
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Colombia: Background, U.S. Relations, and Congressional Interest [November 28, 2012]
"Colombia, a key U.S. ally, has made measurable progress in providing security despite having endured the longest armed internal conflict in the Western Hemisphere. It has long been a source for both cocaine and heroin. Drug trafficking has helped to perpetuate conflict by funding both left-wing and right-wing armed groups. Colombia and the United States have forged a close partnership focused initially on counternarcotics and later counterterrorism. In recent years, the U.S.-Colombian relationship has broadened to include trade, human rights, and development. Colombia has emerged as a regional leader providing training in security and counternarcotics throughout the hemisphere and elsewhere. […] The 112th Congress has maintained a strong interest in Colombia's progress in trade, security, counternarcotics, and human rights. In October 2011, the U.S. Congress approved implementing legislation for the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement, which went into force on May 15, 2012. Members of Congress will continue to monitor the associated Action Plan Related to Labor Rights that addressed U.S. concerns related to labor rights and violence in Colombia. In addition to the larger debate about what role the United States should continue to play in Colombia's ongoing struggle with drug trafficking and illegal armed groups, Congress has expressed concern with a number of related issues. These include funding levels for Plan Colombia's follow-on strategies; continuing allegations of human rights abuses; and the effectiveness of counternarcotics policies such as aerial eradication and alternative development. Members will likely monitor Colombia's peace negotiations and their effect on security conditions in the country."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Beittel, June S.
2012-11-28
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Mexico's Drug Trafficking Organizations: Source and Scope of the Rising Violence [August 3, 2012]
"Violence has been an inherent feature of the trade in illicit drugs, but the violence generated by Mexico's drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) in recent years has been unprecedented and remarkably brutal. The tactics--including mass killings, the use of torture and dismemberment, and the phenomena of car bombs--have led some analysts to speculate whether the violence has been transformed into something new, perhaps requiring a different set of policy responses. According to government and other data, the best estimates are that there were slightly more than 50,000 homicides related to organized crime from December 2006 through December 2011. Some analysts see in this year's data about Mexico's organized crime-related homicides the possibility that the violence may have peaked or reached a plateau, if it has not begun to decline. Many observers maintain that the steep increase in organized crime-related homicides in recent years is likely to trend down far more slowly. […] This report provides background on drug trafficking in Mexico: it identifies the major DTOs; examines how the organized crime 'landscape' has been altered by fragmentation; and analyzes the context, scope, and scale of the violence. It examines current trends of the violence, analyzes prospects for curbing violence in the future, and compares it with violence in Colombia."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Beittel, June S.
2012-08-03
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Latin America and the Caribbean: U.S. Policy and Key Issues for Congress in 2012 [December 21, 2012]
"Geographic proximity has ensured strong linkages between the United States and the Latin American and Caribbean region, with diverse U.S. interests, including economic, political and security concerns. U.S. policy toward the region under the Obama Administration has focused on four priorities: promoting economic and social opportunity; ensuring citizen security; strengthening effective democratic institutions; and securing a clean energy future. There has been substantial continuity in U.S. policy toward the region under the Obama Administration, which has pursued some of the same basic policy approaches as the Bush Administration. Nevertheless, the Obama Administration has made several significant policy changes, including an overall emphasis on partnership and shared responsibility. […] This report provides an overview of U.S. policy toward Latin America and the Caribbean in 2012, including the Obama Administration's priorities for U.S. policy and a brief comparison of policies under the Obama and Bush Administrations. It then examines congressional interest in Latin America, first providing an overview, and then looking at selected countries and regional issues and key policy issues faced by Congress in 2012. The final section of the report analyzes several key events in the region that took place in 2012: the Pope's trip to Cuba in March, the sixth Summit of the Americas in April, Mexico's elections in July, and Venezuela's upcoming elections in October. An appendix provides a listing of hearings in the 112th Congress focused on Latin America."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Sullivan, Mark P.; Beittel, June S.; Seelke, Clare Ribando
2012-12-21
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Peace Talks in Colombia [March 1, 2013]
"In August 2012, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos announced that exploratory peace talks with the violent leftist insurgent group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), were underway in a bid to resolve a nearly 50-year internal armed conflict. The initial dialogue between the Santos government and the FARC's leadership, carried out in secret, led to the opening of formal peace talks with the FARC-the oldest, largest, and best financed guerrilla organization in Latin America. The formal talks began in Oslo, Norway, in October 2012 and have moved to Havana, Cuba, where they continue. These official talks between the government and FARC are the first in a decade and the fourth effort in the last 30 years. Some observers maintain that conditions may be the best seen to date for moving toward a negotiated peace settlement, as talks at this time may appear to both sides to be more attractive than continuing to fight."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Beittel, June S.
2013-03-01
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Mexico's Drug Trafficking Organizations: Source and Scope of the Rising Violence [June 8, 2012]
"Violence has been an inherent feature of the trade in illicit drugs, but the violence generated by Mexico's drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) in recent years has been unprecedented and remarkably brutal. The tactics--including mass killings such as the widely reported massacres of young people and migrants, the use of torture and dismemberment, and the phenomena of car bombs--have led some analysts to speculate whether the violence has been transformed into something new, perhaps requiring a different set of policy responses. According to government and other data, the best estimates are that there have been slightly more than 50,000 homicides related to organized crime from December 2006 through December 2011. It has also been suggested that the targets of the drug trafficking-related violence in Mexico have changed. In 2010, several politicians were murdered, including a leading gubernatorial candidate in Tamaulipas and 15 mayors. While fewer local officials were killed in 2011, there is concern that political violence could spike in 2012 in advance of presidential and congressional elections slated for July. Over the past few years, Mexico has come to be regarded as one of the most dangerous countries for journalists, with 10 reported killings in 2010 and another eight in 2011. […] This report provides background on drug trafficking in Mexico: it identifies the major DTOs; how the organized crime 'landscape' has been altered by fragmentation; and analyzes the context, scope, and scale of the violence. It examines current trends of the violence, analyzes prospects for curbing violence in the future, and compares it with violence in Colombia."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Beittel, June S.
2012-06-08
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Bolivia: Political and Economic Developments and Relations with the United States [January 30, 2009]
"Bolivia has experienced a period of political volatility, with the country having had six presidents since 2001. Evo Morales, an indigenous leader and head of Bolivia's coca growers' union, and his party, the leftist Movement Toward Socialism (MAS), won a convincing victory in the December 18, 2005, presidential election with 54% of the votes. Early in his term, President Morales moved to decriminalize coca cultivation and nationalized the country's natural gas industry. His efforts to reform the Bolivian constitution have, until recently, been stymied by a strong opposition movement led by the leaders (prefects) of Bolivia's wealthy eastern provinces who are seeking greater regional autonomy. [...] Concerns regarding Bolivia in the 110th Congress focused largely on counternarcotics and trade issues. Bolivia received an estimated $99.5 million in U.S. foreign aid in FY2008, including roughly $47 million in counternarcotics assistance, significantly lower than in previous years. An enacted continuing resolution H.R. 2638/P.L. [Public Law] 110-329 will provide funding for U.S. programs in Bolivia at FY2008 levels through March 6, 2009. In October 2008, Congress enacted legislation to extend ATPA [Andean Trade Preferences Act] trade preferences for Bolivia until June 30, 2009 (P.L. 110-436). However, on November 25, 2008, President Bush announced his decision to suspend Bolivia's ATPA trade preferences effective December 15, citing Bolivia's failure to cooperate with the United States on counternarcotics efforts. The 111th Congress is likely to continue to focus on trade and drug issues as these concerns remain central to U.S. relations with Bolivia."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Seelke, Clare Ribando; Beittel, June S.
2009-01-30
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Mexico's Drug Trafficking Organizations: Source and Scope of the Violence [April 15, 2013]
"Violence is an inherent feature of the trade in illicit drugs, but the violence generated by Mexico's drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) in recent years has been unprecedented and remarkably brutal. The tactics--including mass killings, the use of torture and dismemberment, and the phenomena of car bombs--have led some analysts to speculate whether the violence has been transformed into something new, perhaps requiring a different set of policy responses. Most analysts estimate there have been at least 60,000 homicides related to organized crime since 2006. Some analysts see evidence that the number of organized crime-style homicides in Mexico may have reached a plateau in 2012, while other observers maintain there was a decline in the number of killings. It is widely believed that the steep increase in organized crime-related homicides during the six-year administration of Mexican President Felipe Calderón (2006-2012) is likely to trend down far more slowly than it rose. […] Similar to the last Congress, the 113th Congress remains concerned about the security crisis in Mexico. The new government of President Enrique Peña Nieto which took office in December 2012 has proposed a new security strategy that builds on the programs that the Calderón government initiated. These include close U.S.-Mexico security coordination under the Mérida Initiative with police training and judicial reform, and use of the Mexican military to prosecute the campaign against the DTOs in the near term. In his first three months in office, President Peña Nieto has proposed some new approaches--such as establishing a 10,000 strong militarized police force or 'gendarmarie' within a year, revising and expanding crime prevention programs, and refocusing the strategy on lowering violent crime such as homicide and kidnapping. But President Peña Nieto has also tried to shift the national conversation to a more positive message about economic growth rather than remaining focused on organized crime groups and the violence and mayhem that they cause."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Beittel, June S.
2013-04-15
