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Colombia: Background and U.S. Relations [Updated November 29, 2019]
From the Document: "Colombia, a key Latin American ally, endured half a century of internal armed conflict. Drug trafficking fueled the violence, funding left- and right-wing armed groups. Some analysts feared in the 1990s that Colombia would become a failed state, but the Colombian government devised a novel security strategy, known as Plan Colombia, to counter the insurgencies. Plan Colombia and follow-on programs ultimately became a 17-year U.S.-Colombian bilateral effort. [...] Congress appropriated more than $10 billion for Plan Colombia and its follow-on programs between FY2000 and FY2016, about 20% of which was funded through the U.S. Department of Defense. Since 2017, Congress has provided nearly $1.2 billion in additional assistance for Colombia. For FY2019, Congress appropriated $418.1 million in foreign aid for Colombia, which encompassed efforts to promote peace and reconciliation, assist rural communities, and continue counternarcotics support through the U.S. State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development. Congress has signed two continuing resolutions for FY2020 appropriations, with FY2020 aid levels set to match FY2019 levels through late December 2019."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Beittel, June S.
2019-11-29
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Mexico: Organized Crime and Drug Trafficking Organizations [Updated August 15, 2019]
From the Document: "Mexican drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) pose the greatest crime threat to the United States and have 'the greatest drug trafficking influence,' according to the annual U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA's) National Drug Threat Assessment. These organizations work across the Western Hemisphere and globally. They are involved in extensive money laundering, bribery, gun trafficking, and corruption, while causing Mexico's homicide rates to spike. They produce and traffic illicit drugs into the United States, including heroin, methamphetamine, marijuana, and powerful synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, and they traffic South American cocaine."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Beittel, June S.
2019-08-15
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Combating Corruption in Latin America: Congressional Considerations [May 21, 2019]
From the Overview: "This report examines how anti-corruption strategies in U.S. policy and legislation initially evolved from a desire to level the playing field for corporations working in the developing world. At first, U.S. corporations were regulated so they could not bribe or extort to win contracts, and then the focus expanded to helping build more effective institutions and the rule of law in developing countries to ensure more fair, predictable,and transparent systems. The report examines how corruption contributes to wasting public monies, distorting electoral outcomes, and reinforcing criminal structures. Although the fight against corruption is a global effort, this report focuses more closely on U.S. interests in fighting corruption in the region,and how U.S. policy and assistance programs have developed to address that goal. Contemporary anti-corruption efforts in Brazil, Mexico, and Central America are examined as case studies. The report closes with considerations for Congress in conducting its oversight role over U.S. funded anti-corruption efforts in the region and pursuing the policy objective of broadening the rule of law and encouraging good government."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Beittel, June S.; Meyer, Peter J.; Seelke, Clare Ribando . . .
2019-05-21
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Ecuador: An Overview [May 20, 2019]
From the Document: "Ecuador is a small, ethnically diverse country of 16.5 million inhabitants located in South America between Colombia and Peru. In April 2017, Lenín Moreno was elected president from the leftist 'Alianza Pais' (AP) party, succeeding President Rafael Correa (2007-2017), a populist leader of the same party. Correa, Ecuador's longest-serving president, was reelected three times, bringing some stability to Ecuador's tumultuous politics. Many thought Correa's 'Citizens' Revolution' would continue under President Moreno, who served as Correa's vice president for six years.President Moreno, however,quickly distanced himself from Correa in style and substance. In recent months, Moreno has adopted market-friendly policies, shown interest in closer relations with the United States,and rejected Venezuela's government under President Nícolas Maduro, which Correa had promoted as an ally."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Beittel, June S.; Gracia, Edward Y.
2019-05-20
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Colombia: Background and U.S. Relations [Updated February 8, 2019]
"A key U.S. ally in the Latin American region, Colombia endured an internal armed conflict for half a century. Drug trafficking fueled the violence by funding both left-wing and right-wing armed groups. Some analysts feared Colombia would become a failed state in the late 1990s, but the Colombian government devised a new security strategy, known as Plan Colombia, to counter the insurgencies. Originally designed as a 6-year program, Plan Colombia ultimately became a 17-year U.S.-Colombian bilateral effort. The partnership focused initially on counternarcotics and later on counterterrorism; it then broadened to include sustainable development, human rights, trade, regional security, and many other areas of cooperation."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Beittel, June S.
2019-02-08
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Latin America and the Caribbean: Issues in the 115th Congress [Updated January 22, 2019]
"Geographic proximity has ensured strong linkages between the United States and Latin America and the Caribbean, based on diverse U.S. interests, including economic, political, and security concerns. The United States is a major trading partner and the largest source of foreign investment for many countries in the region, with free-trade agreements enhancing economic linkages with 11 countries. The region is a large source of U.S. immigration, both legal and illegal; proximity and economic and security conditions are major factors driving migration. Curbing the flow of illicit drugs has been a key component of U.S. relations with the region for more than three decades and currently involves close security cooperation with Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. U.S. support for democracy and human rights in the region has been long-standing, with particular current focus on Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Sullivan, Mark P.; Beittel, June S.; DeBruyne, Nese F. . . .
2019-01-22
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Colombia: Background and U.S. Relations [Updated December 14, 2018]
"A key U.S. ally in the Latin American region, Colombia endured an internal armed conflict for half a century. Drug trafficking fueled the violence by funding both left-wing and right-wing armed groups. Some analysts feared Colombia would become a failed state in the late 1990s, but the Colombian government devised a new security strategy, known as Plan Colombia, to counter the insurgencies. Originally designed as a 6-year program, Plan Colombia ultimately became a 17-year U.S.-Colombian bilateral effort. The partnership focused initially on counternarcotics and later on counterterrorism; it then broadened to include sustainable development, human rights, trade, regional security, and many other areas of cooperation. Between FY2000 and FY2016, the U.S. Congress appropriated more than $10 billion to help fund Plan Colombia and its follow-on programs. For FY2018, Congress appropriated $391.3 million in foreign aid for Colombia, including assistance to promote peace and end the conflict."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Beittel, June S.
2018-12-14
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Latin America and the Caribbean: Issues in the 115th Congress [October 4, 2018]
"Geographic proximity has ensured strong linkages between the United States and Latin America and the Caribbean, based on diverse U.S. interests, including economic, political, and security concerns. The United States is a major trading partner and the largest source of foreign investment for many countries in the region, with free-trade agreements enhancing economic linkages with 11 countries. The region is a large source of U.S. immigration, both legal and illegal; proximity and economic and security conditions are major factors driving migration. Curbing the flow of illicit drugs has been a key component of U.S. relations with the region for more than three decades and currently involves close security cooperation with Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. U.S. support for democracy and human rights in the region has been long-standing, with particular current focus on Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Sullivan, Mark P.; Beittel, June S.; DeBruyne, Nese F. . . .
2018-10-04
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Colombia's 2018 Elections [July 12, 2018]
"Colombians elected a new congress in March 2018 and a new president in June 2018. Because no presidential candidate won more than 50% of the vote on May 27, 2018, as required for a victory in the first round, a second-round runoff was held June 17. That contest resulted in a victory for a popular far-right candidate, Iván Duque, who will assume office on August 7, 2018."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Beittel, June S.; Gracia, Edward Y.
2018-07-12
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Mexico: Organized Crime and Drug Trafficking Organizations [July 3, 2018]
"Mexican drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) pose the greatest crime threat to the United States, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA's) National Drug Threat Assessment published in October 2017. These organizations have for years been identified for their strong links to drug trafficking, money laundering, and other violent crimes. These criminal groups have trafficked heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, marijuana, and, increasingly, the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl. U.S. overdoses due to opioid consumption sharply increased to a record level in 2016, following the Mexican criminal syndicates expanded control of the heroin and synthetic opioids market. The major DTOs and new crime groups have furthered their expansion into such illicit activity as extortion, kidnapping, and oil theft that costs the government's oil company more than a billion dollars a year."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Beittel, June S.
2018-07-03
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Latin America and the Caribbean: Issues in the 115th Congress [March 12, 2018]
"Geographic proximity has ensured strong linkages between the United States and Latin America and the Caribbean, based on diverse U.S. interests, including economic, political, and security concerns. The United States is a major trading partner and the largest source of foreign investment for many countries in the region, with free-trade agreements enhancing economic linkages with 11 countries. The region is a large source of U.S. immigration, both legal and illegal; geographic proximity and economic and security conditions are major factors driving migration trends. Curbing the flow of illicit drugs has been a key component of U.S. relations with the region for more than three decades and currently involves close security cooperation with Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. U.S. support for democracy and human rights in the region has been long-standing and currently focuses on Cuba and Venezuela."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Sullivan, Mark P.; Beittel, June S.; DeBruyne, Nese F. . . .
2018-03-12
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Ecuador: In Brief [February 13, 2018]
"Ecuador is a small, oil-producing country of 16 million inhabitants located on the west coast of South America between Colombia and Peru. In 2017, Ecuador was considered to have the thirdlargest proven reserves of crude oil in South America, with 8.3 billion barrels. It is the smallest member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). Petroleum is Ecuador's largest export to the United States, the country's top trade partner. With the reduction in crude oil price since 2014, Ecuador's earnings have fallen after years of strong growth."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Beittel, June S.
2018-02-13
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Colombia's Changing Approach to Drug Policy [Updated November 30, 2017]
"Colombia is one of the largest producers of cocaine globally, and it also produces heroin bound for the United States. Counternarcotics policy has long been a key component of the U.S.- Colombian relationship, which some analysts have described as 'driven by drugs.' In recent years, Colombia revised its approach to counternarcotics policy, which may have implications for the U.S.-Colombian relationship going forward. On September 13, 2017, President Trump cited the recent spike in Colombia's cocaine production as the reason he was reserving the option to decertify Colombia as a cooperating partner in fighting illegal drugs, an unexpected development given the close counternarcotics partnership between the United States and Colombia."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Beittel, June S.; Rosen, Liana W.
2017-11-30
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Colombia: Background and U.S. Relations [November 14, 2017]
"Colombia and the United States have had one of the closest partnerships in the Western Hemisphere. Between FY2000 and FY2016, the U.S. Congress appropriated more than $10 billion to fund Plan Colombia and its follow-on programs. The FY2016 omnibus appropriations measure provided close to $300 million foreign aid from the U.S. State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development. In FY2017, U.S. assistance expanded to focus on implementation of the new peace accord with the FARC, an effort called Peace Colombia. In May 2017, Congress passed an omnibus appropriations measure, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017 (P.L. 115-31), which essentially funded Peace Colombia at $391.3 million. The Trump Administration's proposed foreign aid for Colombia in FY2018 would reduce assistance to $251 million. The House passed an omnibus appropriations bill for FY2018 (H.R. 3354) that would fund bilateral programs for Colombia at $335.9 million. The Senate's Appropriations Committee's foreign aid bill for FY2018 would provide $391.3 million for Colombia, the same amount appropriated in FY2017."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Beittel, June S.
2017-11-14
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Why is Violence Rebounding in Mexico? [November 8, 2017]
"Mexico's transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) have for years been identified as the greatest organized crime threat to the United States given their strong links to drug trafficking, money laundering, and other crimes. These organizations also generate extreme violence within Mexico, where they exercise territorial influence in large swaths of the country near illicit drug production hubs and trafficking routes and particularly where the TCOs clash to assert or maintain dominance. Between 2008 and 2016, Mexico's homicide rate increased from 8 per 100,000 residents to 16.2 per 100,000. [...] In 2017, homicides have continued to spiral upward. Preliminary statistics for January through September show an increase of 20% to 30% over 2016. If this trend continues, Mexico will end the year with a homicide rate above 18 per 100,000, which would make 2017 its most violent year on record. A number of factors may be driving this spike in violence, including continuing fragmentation of the Sinaloa Cartel, competition to meet the burgeoning U.S. heroin demand, and ineffective law enforcement efforts against TCOs, such as the removal of key crime kingpins. [...] As drug-related crime began to climb in 2007, and drug gangs battled Mexican security forces and one another with increasing brutality, some strategies adopted by the Mexican government have not proven effective at least on a sustainable basis. [...] Some analysts are concerned that successful bilateral security cooperation, including extradition of criminals wanted on charges in the United States, may diminish due to tensions rising in other aspects of U.S.-Mexican relations."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Beittel, June S.
2017-11-08
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Paraguay: In Brief [August 31, 2017]
"Paraguay is a South American country wedged between Bolivia, Argentina, and Brazil. It is about the size of California but has a population of less than 7 million. The country is known for its rather homogenous culture--a mix of Latin and Guarani influences, with 90% of the population speaking Guarani, a pre-Columbian language, in addition to Spanish. The Paraguayan economy is one of the most agriculturally dependent in the hemisphere and is largely shaped by the country's production of cattle, soybeans, and other crops. In 2016, Paraguay grew by 4.1%; it is projected to sustain about 4.3% growth in 2017."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Beittel, June S.
2017-08-31
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Mexico: Organized Crime and Drug Trafficking Organizations [April 25, 2017]
"The notorious drug trafficking kingpin Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán is now imprisoned in the United States awaiting trial, following the Mexican government's decision to extradite him to the United States on January 19, 2017, the day before President Trump took office. Guzmán is charged with operating a continuing criminal enterprise and conducting drug-related crimes as the purported leader of the Mexican criminal syndicate commonly known as the Sinaloa cartel. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) maintains that the Sinaloa cartel has the widest reach into U.S. cities of any transnational criminal organization. In November 2016, in its National Drug Threat Assessment, the DEA stated that Mexican drug trafficking groups are working to expand their presence, particularly in the heroin markets inside the United States. Over the years, Mexico's criminal groups have trafficked heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, marijuana, and increasingly the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl. Mexico's drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) have been in constant flux. [...] The 115th Congress remains concerned about security conditions inside Mexico and the illicit drug trade. The Mexican DTOs are the major wholesalers of illegal drugs in the United States and are increasingly gaining control of U.S. retail-level distribution. This report examines how the organized crime landscape has been significantly altered by fragmentation and how the organizational shape-shifting continues."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Beittel, June S.
2017-04-25
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Colombia's Changing Approach to Drug Policy [March 10, 2017]
"Colombia is one of the largest producers of cocaine globally, and it also produces heroin bound for the United States. Counter-narcotics policy has long been a key component of the U.S.- Colombian relationship, which some analysts have described as "driven by drugs." Now, Colombia is changing its approach to counter-narcotics policy, which may have implications for the U.S.-Colombian relationship. […] A peace accord between the government of Colombia and the country's main leftist insurgent group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), was signed in late November 2016 after four years of formal peace talks. The Colombian Congress unanimously ratified the peace accord, which had been revised following the narrow rejection of an earlier accord in a national referendum in October 2016. The final peace agreement addresses important issues, such as illicit crop cultivation-a major source of FARC income-and rural development. According to President Juan Manuel Santos, the peace accord will draw former FARC members into efforts to counter illicit drug production and trafficking. In 2017, as Colombia begins to implement the final peace accord and demobilize the FARC, the country is facing a large increase in cocaine production. During the protracted peace negotiations with the FARC, the Colombian government altered its approach to drug policy. A major change was the decision to end aerial spraying to eradicate coca crops, which had been a central-albeit controversial-feature of U.S.-Colombian counter-drug cooperation for more than two decades."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Beittel, June S.; Rosen, Liana W.
2017-03-10
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'El Chapo' Guzmán's Extradition: What's Next for U.S.-Mexican Security Cooperation? [January 30, 2017]
"Mexico's extradition of Guzmán to the United States has been widely welcomed by U.S. officials. Some analysts viewed the extradition as the culmination of bilateral security cooperation under the Obama Administration, whereas others saw it as a goodwill gesture to President Trump. Following Guzmán's 2014 capture by Mexican marines supported by U.S. intelligence, the Mexican government was resistant to extradite Guzmán to the United States. Views appear to have shifted in light of Guzmán's brazen prison escape in 2015. By the time he was recaptured in 2016, the Mexican government proved willing to provide 'extensive cooperation and assistance' to U.S. authorities to secure his extradition. Guzmán's arraignment occurred less than a week before the abrupt cancellation of a meeting scheduled for January 31, 2017, between President Trump and Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto. Current tensions in U.S.- Mexican relations over trade, executive actions on immigration, and a border wall have raised questions about whether Mexico will be willing to continue cooperating with the United States on antidrug and other security efforts, which remain top concerns for many U.S. policymakers."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Seelke, Clare Ribando; Beittel, June S.; Rosen, Liana W.
2017-01-30
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Colombia's Peace Process Through 2016 [Updated December 31, 2016]
From the Summary: "In August 2012, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos announced that the government was engaged in exploratory peace talks with the violent leftist insurgent group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), in a bid to resolve a nearly 50-year internal armed conflict. The secret, initial dialogue between the Santos government and the FARC's leadership led to the opening of formal peace talks with the FARC--the oldest, largest, and best-financed guerrilla organization in Latin America. Formal talks began in Oslo, Norway, in October 2012 and then, as planned, moved to Havana, Cuba, where they continued for more than 50 rounds."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Beittel, June S.
2016-12-31
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Latin America: Terrorism Issues [December 15, 2016]
"Compared to other parts of the world, the potential threat emanating from terrorism is low in most countries in Latin America. Most terrorist acts occur in the Andean region of South America, committed by two Colombian guerrilla groups--the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the National Liberation Army (ELN)--and one Peruvian guerrilla group, the Shining Path (SL). All three of these groups have been designated by the U.S. State Department as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs). The FARC, however, has been engaged in peace negotiations with the Colombian government since 2012, culminating in a peace accord signed in September 2016. Although the accord was narrowly rejected by a national plebiscite in early October, both sides hammered out a new peace accord in November 2016, which was ratified by Colombia's Congress at the end of that month. Negotiations between the Colombian government and the smaller ELN had several false starts in 2016, although to date formal talks with the government have not started. The Shining Path has been significantly diminished because of Peruvian military operations."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Sullivan, Mark P.; Beittel, June S.
2016-12-15
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Colombia Adopts Revised Peace Accord: What Next? [December 5, 2016]
"In an effort to end a half century of armed conflict between the largest leftist insurgent group in Colombia, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), and the Colombian government, a revised peace accord was signed in November 2016 by President Juan Manuel Santos and the FARC's leader, known as Timochenko. On November 30, 2016, the new accord was 'ratified' by the Colombian Congress, first by the Colombian Senate by a vote of 75-0 (out of 101 Senators) and a day later by the lower house by a vote of 130-0 (out of 166). Congressional opponents either did not vote or walked out, and debate lasted for more than 10 hours in each chamber. Despite ratification of the agreement, Colombia's way forward remains uncertain for implementing the 310-page accord."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Beittel, June S.
2016-12-05
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Prospects in Colombia: Cease-Fire, Peace Accord Vote, and Potential Disrupters [September 14, 2016]
"On October 2, 2016, Colombians will be given a chance in a national plebiscite to embrace or reject a peace accord negotiated over four years between the government of President Juan Manuel Santos and the country's largest insurgent group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). The FARC has fought the Colombian government for more than five decades and funded its leftist insurgency with proceeds from extortion, drug trafficking, and other illicit activities. The vote is not legally required to approve the FARC-government negotiations but was the path chosen by the Santos government to garner public support and bring legitimacy to the result. [...] Between September 13 and September 17, 2016, the FARC guerrilla forces and leadership are scheduled to convene what is technically their 10th conference to determine their support for the accord. The peace accord stipulates that FARC combatants will disarm within 180 days of signature. FARC fighters are to move to zones in 28 sites around rural Colombia to disarm in a U.N.-supervised process. An estimated 10,000 to 15,000 FARC fighters and militia members would then begin a process of reintegration into civilian life. An ambitious program of transitional justice would take place through a mechanism called the Special Jurisdiction of Peace (JEP), featuring a Tribunal for Peace made up of judges selected by Colombian judges and foreign dignitaries, including the U.N. Secretary General."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Beittel, June S.
2016-09-14
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Zika Virus in Latin America and the Caribbean: U.S. Policy Considerations [June 29, 2016]
"Congress is debating how to respond to an ongoing outbreak of Zika virus, a mosquito-borne illness that has no treatment or vaccine and can cause microcephaly--a severe birth defect--and other neurological complications. As of June 16, 2016, 60 countries and territories had reported mosquito-borne transmission of the virus, 39 of which are in Latin America and the Caribbean and are reporting cases of Zika for the first time. Brazil, which has registered the most confirmed cases of Zika in Latin America, will host the summer Olympics in August 2016. Scientists expect that travel destinations in the Caribbean will see more cases as the summer's warm, rainy season continues. More than 750 U.S. citizens, including pregnant women, have become infected through either travel or sexual transmission. Frequent business and tourist travel, combined with the close proximity and similar climates of Latin America and the southern United States, means that mosquito-borne Zika infections are likely in the United States. Zika is primarily spread by Aedes mosquitoes--primarily Aedes aegypti but also Aedes albopictus, the latter of which is present in a majority of U.S. states. Local (or mosquito-borne) transmission has not yet occurred in the continental United States but is occurring in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. […] This report focuses on the Latin American dimensions of the Zika virus. For more information, see CRS Report R44368, 'Zika Virus: Basics About the Disease;' CRS Report R44385, 'Zika Virus: CRS Experts;' and CRS Report R44460, 'Zika Response Funding: Request and Congressional Action.' This report will be updated periodically."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Seelke, Clare Ribando; Salaam-Blyther, Tiaji; Beittel, June S.
2016-06-29
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Proposed U.S. Foreign Assistance Initiative 'Peace Colombia' [March 3, 2016]
"On February 4, 2016, President Obama and Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos met at the White House to celebrate the 15-year anniversary of Plan Colombia, a bilateral cooperation program aimed at improving Colombia's security and strengthening its democratic development. The Colombian-written Plan Colombia received the endorsement of three U.S. presidential administrations, representing both political parties, and garnered nearly $10 billion in support from the U.S. Congress between FY2000 and FY2016. In addition to celebrating Plan Colombia's gains, President Obama proposed a new 'post-peace accord' approach to U.S.-Colombian cooperation, a program called Peace Colombia (sometimes referred to in Spanish as 'Paz Colombia'). It anticipates a peace agreement following more than three years of negotiations between the Colombian government and Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), the country's main leftist guerilla group. The total proposed effort includes $450 million of support, $391 million of which the Obama Administration requested in its FY2017 congressional budget request for foreign operations. The U.S. Congress may be interested in the timing and scope of the program, as the Colombian government appears to be working toward what most analysts consider the most difficult phase of any peace negotiations--implementation of the peace accord."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Beittel, June S.
2016-03-03
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U.S.-Mexico Security Cooperation After 'El Chapo' Guzmán's January 2016 Recapture [January 13, 2016]
"The escape of Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán from a maximum security federal prison near Mexico City in July 2015
underscored the extent to which corruption is entrenched in Mexico's criminal justice system. Mexican marines
reportedly came close to recapturing Guzmán in the northwestern Sierra Madre mountains in October 2015, and,
following a vigorous intelligence-guided effort, Mexican marines recaptured Guzmán in Los Mochis, Sinaloa, on
January 8, 2016. One key concern for U.S. policymakers is whether the Mexican government will be able to hold
Guzmán securely in the same prison from which he escaped and then extradite him swiftly to the United States-a
source of tension in U.S.-Mexican relations. Another is whether Guzmán's recapture, which was supported by U.S.
intelligence, will lead to closer security cooperation moving forward."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Beittel, June S.; Seelke, Clare Ribando
2016-01-13
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U.S.-Mexico Security Cooperation Following 'El Chapo' Guzmán's Escape [October 20, 2015]
"The escape of Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán on July 11, 2015, from a maximum security federal prison near Mexico City stunned Mexico. The mechanics of the escape--through a mile-long tunnel accessed by a shower stall in his cell--has added to the lore of the notorious drug trafficker who heads Mexico's dominant Sinaloa drug trafficking organization (DTO). Guzmán's escape for a second time--he escaped from another Mexican prison in 2001--has underscored the weakness of Mexico's criminal justice system and the entrenched corruption in the country. Despite this incident, and human rights concerns that have resulted in a loss of some $5.5 million in U.S. assistance, U.S.-Mexican security cooperation continues. Mexico extradited 13 high-profile criminals to the United States in September 2015. Then, acting on U.S. intelligence, Mexican marines reportedly came close to recapturing Guzmán in mid-October in the northwestern Sierra Madre mountains."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Beittel, June S.; Seelke, Clare Ribando
2015-10-20
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Colombian Peace Talks Breakthrough: A Possible End-Game? [October 13, 2015]
"Negotiators reached a breakthrough in talks between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) just a day after Pope Francis left Cuba, following more than 40 rounds of discussions held in Havana since November 2012. On September 23, 2015, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, in a highly symbolic gesture, shook hands with the leader of the FARC, Ricardo Londoño (alias Timochenko), during a stop on his way to the U.N. General Assembly meeting in New York. The long-time foes, who some observers say were prodded by the pontiff, announced a timetable to complete the peace talks, a framework for a transitional justice system for assisting victims, and a date for disarmament of the FARC. According to Colombian government estimates, some 220,000 Colombians have died in the 51-year internal armed conflict, about 80% of them civilians. Additionally, 7 million people (15% of the population) have been registered as victims from forced displacement, land mine accidents, and related violence. The FARC is Latin America's oldest, largest, and best-financed guerilla insurgency. Colombia's second largest leftist group is the National Liberation Army (ELN) and it has been in preliminary negotiations with the Santos government since last year. Some analysts speculate that this development in the FARC-government negotiations may spur the start of formal talks with the ELN."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Beittel, June S.
2015-10-13
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Mexico: Organized Crime and Drug Trafficking Organizations [July 22, 2015]
"Reversing a fairly robust record of capturing and imprisoning leaders of Mexico's drug trafficking organizations (DTOs), the escape of notorious cartel leader Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán on July 11, 2015, was a huge setback for the Mexican government already beleaguered by charges of corruption and low approval ratings. Mexico's efforts to combat drug traffickers have touched all of the major organizations that once dominated the illicit drug trade: for example, the February 2014 capture of Guzmán who leads Sinaloa, Mexico's largest drug franchise; top leaders of Los Zetas in 2013 and March 2015; the October 2014 arrests of Hector Beltrán Leyva of the Beltrán Leyva Organization and, later, of Vicente Carrillo Fuentes of the once-dominant Juárez cartel. The DTOs have been in constant flux in recent years. By some accounts, in December 2006 there were four dominant DTOs: the Tijuana/Arellano Felix organization (AFO), the Sinaloa cartel, the Juárez/Vicente Carillo Fuentes organization (CFO), and the Gulf cartel. Since then, the more stable large organizations have fractured into many more groups. In recent years, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) identified the following organizations as dominant: Sinaloa, Los Zetas, Tijuana/AFO, Juárez/CFO, Beltrán Leyva, Gulf, and La Familia Michoacana. In some sense, these might be viewed as the 'traditional' DTOs. However, many analysts suggest that those 7 seem to have now fragmented to 9 or as many as 20 major organizations. […] This report provides background on drug trafficking and organized crime inside Mexico: it identifies the major DTOs, and it examines how the organized crime 'landscape' has been significantly altered by fragmentation."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Beittel, June S.
2015-07-22
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U.S.-Mexico Security Cooperation Following 'El Chapo' Guzmán's Escape [July 21, 2015]
"The escape of Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán on July 11, 2015, from a maximum security federal prison near Mexico City stunned Mexico. The mechanics of the escape--through a mile-long tunnel accessed by a shower stall in his cell--has added to the lore of the notorious drug trafficker who heads Mexico's dominant Sinaloa drug trafficking organization (DTO). Guzman's escape for a second time--he escaped from another Mexican prison in 2001--has underscored the weak justice, law enforcement, and penal systems in Mexico and the entrenched corruption in the country. This incident has raised serious concerns about the security strategy of President Enrique Peña Nieto, and some observers note that it could set back U.S.-Mexican security cooperation."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Beittel, June S.; Seelke, Clare Ribando
2015-07-21
