Latin America

In New Zealand on 4 February, trade ministers from the twelve signatories to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) formally signed the pact, an important step towards […] More

There has been a good deal of hype touting the recently concluded Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement as the first “21st Century” trade pact.   Whether it […] More

The reach of Latin American illicit trafficking networks extends well beyond the region, according to former U.S. diplomat Celina Realuyo, now a professor at the […] More

Two assumptions about transnational crime disrupt the design of effective security policies worldwide: Assuming that corruption is mainly an economic issue in which private agents […] More

With over 30 years working as a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent, Michael Vigil has an extensive understanding of illicit trafficking networks.  The former DEA […] More

Major and growing illicit trafficking networks link Latin America to Europe, Asia, and North America. Through these networks, illicit drugs and trafficked human beings flow […] More

Last month, The Cipher Brief published a feature commentary on the prospects for peace in Colombia. This month, we continue that conversation with Frank Mora, […] More

Democracy has become the most accepted form of governance over the last three decades across Latin America. However, opinion polls, as we saw in Latinobarómetro’s […] More

Colombia is not a “typical” Latin American country.   It diverges from common views of the region in ways that are interesting and important.  It […] More

Juan Manuel Santos’ administration and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) kicked off peace negotiations in October 2012. The chosen methodology (“nothing is negotiated […] More

There should be no doubt that the current round of negotiations between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) is a […] More

Colombia is not a “typical” Latin American country.   It diverges from common views of the region in ways that are interesting and important.  It […] More

Pablo Escobar’s childhood dream was to be a millionaire by the time he was 22.  It is unclear if he met that specific goal, but […] More

Latin America and the Caribbean’s (LAC) relationship with China has passed through many stages in the last few decades. It is only after the 1990s […] More

China’s rise has exerted a well-documented economic impact in Latin America. South American economists worry about the loss of value-adding industries as raw materials like […] More

In an interview with The Cipher Brief, Boston University Professor Kevin Gallagher sees Chinese and American interests in Latin America as complementary. The Cipher Brief: […] More

The Cipher Brief spoke to R. Evan Ellis, a professor at the U.S. Army War College, who said that while China does not directly challenge […] More

The security of U.S. borders has become one of the key issues in the U.S. Presidential race.  Some of the Republican candidates support building a […] More