Central America
Costa Rica: the next narco-state?
Unprecedented cocaine raids across Costa Rica point to the Central American country emerging as a key hub in the hemispheric narco-trade.
Tag: narco wars
The Andes
Colombia: photos link Uribe to narcos, paras
Just as he has launched a new political party, photos emerge showing Colombia's ex-president Alvaro Uribe with figures linked to the "para-politics" scandal.
The Andes
Colombia: US suspends spraying after pilots downed
The US-funded glyphosate spraying in Colombia has been indefinitely suspended after presumed FARC guerillas shot down two fumigation planes—killing a US pilot.
Southeast Asia
Golden Triangle opium boom
The UN in its new Southeast Asia Opium Survey finds that opium production in Burma soared in 2013—along with renewed insurgency wars in the country's north.
The Andes
Peru: coup d’etat against Humala planned?
Following a shake-up in the military high command, the Peruvian blogosphere is abuzz with rumors of an imminent coup d'etat against President Ollanta Humala.
The Andes
CIA covert action in Colombia revealed
The Washington Post runs an in-depth report exposing CIA oversight of the Colombian government's campaign of targeted assassinations of guerilla leaders.
The Andes
Peru claims new blow against Sendero Luminoso, assails Bolivia
Peru announced the capture of a top Sendero commander—and called upon neighboring Bolivia to stop stigmatizing it as a source of "narco-terrorism."
Iran
Persian Gulf militarized —by drug war
In addition to the naval face-off over a global oil outlet, the Persian Gulf has seen escalating militarization by international forces in the guise of narcotics enforcement.
The Andes
Peru: deadly clash as narco-flight intercepted
Agents of Peru’s National Police force intercepted a small plane loaded with 300 kilos of cocaine paste in Oxapampa province, mortally wounding the pilot, a Bolivian national.
The Andes
Colombia: kingpin named in Trujillo Massacre
Colombia's prosecutor charged notorious drug kingpin "Don Diego" with masterminding several massacres between 1988 and 1994 in which hundreds of peasants were killed.
Mexico
Mexico: new massacre strikes terror in Juárez
A new massacre is reported from Ciudad Juárez, again raising fears of a return to the wave of deadly violence that convulsed the Mexican border city for much of the past decade.
Afghanistan
Afghan opium production hits new record high
The UN’s latest Afghanistan Opium Survey finds that the country produced record levels of poppy in 2013—despite $7 billion in US eradication efforts.