The BBC reported over the weekend on a new think tank report showing that Colombia's new criminal groups (Bacrim, to use the Colombian government's favorite new acronym) have surpassed the FARC as the largest and most dangerous groups in the country. Indepaz estimates there are about 13,000 members of the various Bacrim groups including the Aguilas Negras and Rastrojos. The story isn't quite as clear once you read the interview with Colombia's director of the anti-narcotics police. General...

There has a new surge in cases of harassment and censorship of journalists working for radio stations that have been outspoken in their criticism of the government since the June 2009 coup d’état. Radio Uno, an educational station in the northern city of San Pedro Sula that has repeatedly criticised the regime, was forced off the air by an act of sabotage on the night of 30 August. It has since been able to resume broadcasting amid much tension. Its staff has often been the...

Spain's government Monday rejected a ceasefire by Basque fighters ETA as totally inadequate and demanded it renounce guns and bombs forever in its battle for an independent homeland. The government, opposition, and media were united in their deep scepticism over Sunday's video declaration of a ceasefire in the ETA campaign, blamed for the deaths of 829 people over 42 years. Three ETA members in berets and yellow hoods, sitting at a table against the background of ETA's symbol of a snake...

A couple of weeks ago, while I was on vacation, my cell phone rang; it was Jorge Bolanos, the head of the Cuban Interest Section (we of course don't have diplomatic relations with Cuba) in Washington. "I have a message for you from Fidel," he said. This made me sit up straight. "He has read your Atlantic article about Iran and Israel. He invites you to Havana on Sunday to discuss the article." I am always eager, of course, to interact with readers of The Atlantic, so I...

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez told a regional summit on Friday that there would be no Russian military bases on his country's territory. The 12 leaders of countries that make up the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) convened for an emergency summit in the Argentine resort city of Bariloche to discuss the scheduled deployment of U.S. troops at seven military bases in Colombia. "The U.S. blocks our imports of spare parts for military equipment. That's why we have asked Moscow...

Amnesty International has welcomed the release of a Mexican indigenous human rights activist who was imprisoned for over two years on a fabricated murder charge. Raúl Hernández was acquitted by a judge in Guerrero State on Friday 27 August and immediately released. “The release of Raúl Hernández is a very welcome step. The Mexican authorities must now investigate his unfounded prosecution and compensate him fully for his unfair imprisonment," said...

Honduras should conduct a prompt, thorough, and impartial investigation into a recent wave of killings and threats against journalists, Human Rights Watch said today. Three journalists have been killed in March, and five others have been threatened. “It’s impossible to know the exact motive of these attacks without an adequate investigation,” said José Miguel Vivanco, Americas director at Human Rights Watch. “But the murders and threats are generating a climate...

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos on Wednesday met with Brazilian presidential candidate Dilma Rousseff, who promises to combat guerrillas and drug trafficking on the shared border if elected in October. According to the presidential front-runner, she and Santos "share the idea that border security is crucial. The participation of Brazil in this area must increase," to avoid Colombian organized crime spreading to the neighboring country, she told reporters. Rousseff said...

Former Rear Admiral Carlos Molina Tamayo, who used to be a National Security Adviser during Hugo Chávez's administration, witnessed some of the first attempts of the Venezuelan government to illegally supply weapons to members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), according to an interview published on Monday by The New Herald. Molina, in exile in Europe after taking part in the failed coup d'état in 2002, said that retired Navy Captain Ramón...

In South America there is no arms race, "but it is unexplainable that Venezuela has engaged in an accelerated process of arms purchase," said Frank O. Mora, US Under Secretary of Defense, after visiting Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo. Mora paid an official visit to Paraguay and on Wednesday night, he met with Lugo, AP reported. "In the region, we think that there is no arms race," he said. He added, however, that "it is unexplainable that Venezuela has...