North America
Trump: drug war general to Homeland Security
Gen. John Kelly, Trump's choice for Homeland Security secretary, is ex-chief of the Pentagon's Southern Command who clashed with Obama over his hardline views.
Tag: narco wars
Southeast Asia
Duterte says Trump approves bloody drug war
The Philippines' ultra-hardline President Duterte boasted that Donald Trump has endorsed his bloody anti-drug crackdown—which has claimed an estimated 3,000 lives.
The Andes
Colombia: unrelenting terror against social leaders
Despite advances for the peace process with the FARC rebels, the wave of assassinations of social leaders across Colombia by presumed paramilitary hitmen is unabated.
Southeast Asia
Duterte threatens to kill human rights activists
Accused of carrying out 3,000 extrajudicial executions, the Philippines' ultra-hardline President Duterte now threatens to kill human rights activists who dare to complain about it.
The Andes
Peru: new effort against Shining Path remnants
Peru's new defense minister, Jorge Nieto Montesinos, announced that he will focus on wiping out remnant Shining Path guerillas operating in the country's main coca-producing region.
The Andes
UN: ‘major challenges’ for FARC demobilization
The United Nations warned that Colombia's peace process faces "major challenges," urging the government and FARC rebels to "act swiftly" to demobilize and disarm the guerillas.
Mexico
Mexico: more ‘narco-fosas’ found in Guerrero
Army troops discovered over 30 bodies buried in mass graves in Mexico's southern state of Guerrero, where the back-country is effectively run by murderous narco-gangs.
The Andes
Colombia: FARC peace agreement takes effect
With Colombia's Congress voting to approve the revised peace accord with the FARC rebels, the country is on a countdown to the full demobilization of the guerilla army.
Mexico
Mexico: ‘community police’ co-opted by cartels?
Bloody internecine fighting in Guerrero state fuels fears that Mexico's anti-narco "community police" groups could themselves be co-opted by the warring cartels.
Central America
Central America: tri-national anti-gang task force
A joint security force bringing together the three nations of Central America's Northern Triangle officially began operations to fight narco-gangs and organized crime.
The Andes
Colombia: new peace deal with FARC signed
President Juan Manuel Santos and FARC leader Rodrigo Londono AKA "Timochenko" signed a new peace agreement to replace the one rejected by voters in a national plebiscite.
North America
Trump cabinet list bespeaks concentration camps
Joe Arpaio and Rudolph Giuliani, short-listed for Homeland Security secretary, both have extensive experience in running detainment camps for undocumented immigrants.