Category Archives: Violence in the Americas

On Lynchings and the Weakness of the State

Posted on January 24, 2016 by

Well, this is horrible: The lynching began around 7:20 p.m., not long after the brothers had finished conducting their final interviews on tortilla consumption. Residents confronted them, mistaking the pair for kidnappers. The police confirmed that the men were, in … Continue reading →

Posted in Argentina, Brazil, Corruption, Governance in Latin America, Guatemala, Impunity, Mexico, Violence in the Americas

Police Massacres in Brazil

Posted on August 15, 2015 by

Last month, a killing spree in Manaus (the capital of the state of Amazonas) left 35 people dead. As the shock of the sheer total in the city of 1.7 million wore off, the responsible party began to emerge, with evidence … Continue reading →

Posted in Brazil, Human Rights Issues, Police Violence, Violence in the Americas

Gun Violence in Brazil

Posted on May 18, 2015 by

A (tragic) parable: A report on violence in Brazil says around 42,000 people were shot dead in 2012 – the highest figures for gun crime in 35 years. The study, by the UN and the government on the most recent … Continue reading →

Posted in Argentina, Brazil, El Salvador, Latin America, Violence in the Americas, Weapons and Arms in Latin America

Chiquita Trying to Shirk Responsibility for Aiding Terrorist Organizations

Posted on August 26, 2013 by

Banana companies have long had a horrible history in Latin America, based upon political corruption, economic exploitation, and even the overthrow of democratically-elected regimes. Yet the horrible practices of multinational fruit companies in the region is not a relic of … Continue reading →

Posted in Civil Conflict in the Americas, Colombia, Food, Human Rights Issues, Multinational Corporations in the Americas, Paramilitary Groups, Torture, Violence in the Americas | 2 Comments

On This Date in Latin America -July 24, 1993: The Candelária Massacre

Posted on July 24, 2013 by

In the early hours of the morning on this day twenty years ago, police in Rio de Janeiro murdered eight street children on the steps of Rio’s Candelária Cathedral in what came to be known as the Candelária Massacre. Official … Continue reading →

Posted in Brazil, Children's Rights, Favelas, Human Rights Issues, Human Rights Violations, Impunity, Inequalities in the Americas, Latin American History, Police Violence, Rio de Janeiro, Violence in the Americas | 1 Comment

Protests and Police Violence in São Paulo

Posted on June 14, 2013 by

With the recent announcement of a hike in bus fares in São Paulo, residents took to the streets last night to peacefully express their opposition to and anger with the hike. However, the protests turned very ugly when the police … Continue reading →

Posted in Brazil, Police in the Americas, Police Violence, Protests in Latin America, São Paulo, Urban Landscapes, Violence in the Americas | 1 Comment

Around Latin America

Posted on June 12, 2013 by

-Nicaragua and China have entered into an agreement through which China could help build a canal through Nicaragua that would rival the Panama canal. Of course, Nicaragua has long been seen as a potential site for a canal; even in … Continue reading →

Posted in Alberto Fujimori, Around Latin America, Brazil, Civil Conflict in the Americas, Class and Classism in the Americas, Colombia, Cuba, Democracy in the Americas, Economics in the Americas, Ecuador, Education in the Americas, Elections in Latin America, Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionárias de Colombia (FARC), Human Rights Issues, Human Rights Violations, Inequalities in the Americas, Latin American Politics, Memory Struggles, Neoliberalism, Nicaragua, Peru, Peru's Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path), Race in Brazil, Race in the Americas, The Amazon, United States, Venezuela, Violence in the Americas, War in Latin America, Women's Movements & Issues, Women's Rights

Around Latin America

Posted on May 30, 2013 by

-Two former executives from Ford in Argentina have been charged (among other things) with having ties to the abduction of 24 workers for Ford during the military regime of 1976-1983. -El Salvador’s presidential election is shaping up to be a … Continue reading →

Posted in Argentina, Argentina's Military Dictatorship (1976-1983), Around Latin America, Brazil, Chile, Corruption, Costa Rica, Drugs and the Drug Trade in the Americas, El Salvador, Elections in Latin America, Environmental Issues in the Americas, Guatemala, Human Rights Violations, Inequalities in the Americas, Land Struggles & Issues, Latin America, Latin American Politics, Legal Issues in Latin America, Mexico, Peasant Movements, Poverty, Rio de Janeiro, The "Disappeared", The Amazon, Violence in the Americas

An Agreement for Land Reform in Colombia – Peace to Follow?

Posted on May 28, 2013 by

This is significant:  Colombian government and guerrilla delegates have announced an agreement on the question of land reform – an important step in the peace talks that began six months ago in Havana. “This first document…is the ‘golden gate’ for … Continue reading →

Posted in Colombia, Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionárias de Colombia (FARC), Land Reform, Peasant Movements, Violence in the Americas, War in Latin America

The Cold War in Central America – To What Extent Was the US Responsible?

Posted on May 24, 2013 by

I was on the Burt Cohen Show yesterday, discussing the nature of the Cold War in Central America, the annulment of the Rios Montt trial, human rights and justice for ex-dictators, and the complex roles of the US in Latin … Continue reading →

Posted in Guatemala, Guatemala's Civil War, Latin America, Legal Issues in Latin America, The Cold War in Latin America, United States, Violence in the Americas, War in Latin America