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.
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.
Haiti and Caribbean territories face escalating gang violence impacting civilians and democratic processes.