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.
Violence intensified in northern Veracruz state in Mexico, Venezuela mobilized forces as the US deployed warships and personnel to the Caribbean, and new security measures in prisons in Guatemala triggered coordinated riots.
In July, the Los Choneros leader’s arrest in Manabí, Ecuador, triggered a deadly dispute, the government in Trinidad and Tobago imposed a new state of emergency, and artisanal miners in Peru mobilized to demand formalization.
Peru faces political instability and frequent demonstrations amid corruption and the COVID-19 crisis.