Violence and Terrorism in Latin America in a Global Context: An Overview

With several nations undergoing or on the brink of crisis, the socioeconomic conditions that have led to the rise of terrorist organizations in other regions of the world exist in many parts in South America, Central America, and the Caribbean. At present, terrorism in Latin America is not as widespread as it was in the 1960s and 70s. However, pervasive criminal violence continues to overwhelm many Latin American societies and the frontier between criminal violence and political terrorism could be easily blurred. What exactly should public institutions and civil societies do to preserve and promote liberal democracy when faced with these circumstances?

On Thursday, August 24, Hudson Institute hosted an event on the conditions in Latin America. Ambassador Jaime Daremblum, a senior fellow at Hudson Institute, moderated a discussion with Ambassador Javier Rupérez, Javier Lesaca, and Gustavo Tarre. Ambassador Rupérez, a former Spanish diplomat, addressed overall trends in political violence in Latin America. Mr. Lesaca, a visiting researcher at George Washington University and author of the recently published Armas de Seducción Masiva, assessed the communication strategy of violent and extremist groups in crisis-ridden states. Mr. Tarre, a Venezuelan attorney and non-resident senior associate at CSIS, analyzed the situation on the ground in Latin America, focusing on specific countries and regions at risk.

To view Mr. Lesaca's slides, click here.

To view Mr. Tarre's slides, click here.