Gangs have resorted less to public displays of violence during the state of exception, but their presence in urban areas has not been dented, while organized crime groups have expanded their activities in rural areas.
An operation against the CV gang killed at least 121 people in Rio de Janeiro, gangs expanded across multiple areas in Artibonite, Haiti, and US strikes on vessels in the Pacific fueled diplomatic tensions.
Brazilians protested amid Bolsonaro’s sentencing, Argentines protested Milei’s policies and corruption, and the Viv Ansanm alliance expanded its operations in Haiti.
A look at states of emergency in Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago shows that these measures are likely ineffective at curbing gang violence in the long term.
While levels of violence against civilians have largely remained unchanged since the start of Colombia’s coronavirus lockdown, the perpetrators and locations of the attacks have not. ACLED Research Analyst Adam Miller tracks the evolving trends.
Latin America faces diverse political disorders, with gangs challenging state control and protests erupting despite repression.