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Crime in Latin America
A man smokes marijuana outside Uruguay's parliament in Montevideo on Wednesday, where lawmakers in the lower house debated and passed a bill that would legalize marijuana and regulate its production and distribution.

A man smokes marijuana outside Uruguay's parliament in Montevideo on Wednesday, where lawmakers in the lower house debated and passed a bill that would legalize marijuana and regulate its production and distribution. Matilde Campodonico/AP hide caption

itoggle caption Matilde Campodonico/AP

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Is Uruguay's Marijuana Legalization Vote A Tipping Point?

The South American country could be the first nation to legalize the production, distribution and use of marijuana. It's a bold response to incessant drug-related violence in the region and signals a quest for alternatives to the U.S.-led war on drugs and a rethinking of official U.N. anti-drug policy.

Images from posters made by relatives show 10 of the 12 young people kidnapped in broad daylight from a bar in Mexico City on May 26. No one has claimed responsibility for the brazen abduction.

Images from posters made by relatives show 10 of the 12 young people kidnapped in broad daylight from a bar in Mexico City on May 26. No one has claimed responsibility for the brazen abduction. Marco Ugarte/AP hide caption

itoggle caption Marco Ugarte/AP

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Mass Kidnapping Puts Mexican Legal System On Trial

Mexico City has largely been spared the drug violence in other parts of the country. But a brazen daylight abduction of 12 young people from a Mexico City bar is putting the spotlight on one of the capital's roughest neighborhoods, and putting the popular mayor on the defensive.

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Colombian army soldiers patrol the Loma de Cristo—bal neighborhood after warring gangs forced dozens of families to flee. Medellin used to be the most dangerous city in the world but officials embarked on innovative projects designed to make life better in tough neighborhoods.

Colombian army soldiers patrol the Loma de Cristo—bal neighborhood after warring gangs forced dozens of families to flee. Medellin used to be the most dangerous city in the world but officials embarked on innovative projects designed to make life better in tough neighborhoods. Paul Smith for NPR hide caption

itoggle caption Paul Smith for NPR

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Once Home To A Dreaded Drug Lord, Medellin Remakes Itself

The Colombian city was the world's murder capital in the 1990s, but it managed to turn its fortunes around. Homicides were cut by 80 percent and made big gains on a number of fronts. But the city still faces many challenges in a region plagued by violence.

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Eloisa Barrios visits the humble graves of nine male family members in the Guanayen cemetery. She says all nine were killed by the police, in what was a vendetta against her family. Recently, a 10th member of the family was stabbed to death. He was 17.

Eloisa Barrios visits the humble graves of nine male family members in the Guanayen cemetery. She says all nine were killed by the police, in what was a vendetta against her family. Recently, a 10th member of the family was stabbed to death. He was 17. Meridith Kohut for NPR hide caption

itoggle caption Meridith Kohut for NPR

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In Venezuela, A Family Blames The Police For Their Misery

The high crime rate throughout Latin America has many causes. In many countries, residents claim that police and security force members are part of the problem. In Venezuela, one family says the police are linked to multiple killings that have devastated the family.

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Isabel Narvaez, in El Placer, says she is still traumatized by the rape she suffered. The small hamlet in Colombia is just one place where women were victims of violent crimes during the civil conflict.

Isabel Narvaez, in El Placer, says she is still traumatized by the rape she suffered. The small hamlet in Colombia is just one place where women were victims of violent crimes during the civil conflict. Paul Smith for NPR hide caption

itoggle caption Paul Smith for NPR

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In Colombia, A Town Badly Scarred By Wartime Rape

Women have made significant gains across Latin America. But sexual violence against women remains a pervasive problem. As part of NPR's series on violence in Latin America, we're looking at the problem in Colombia, where decades of war made women extremely vulnerable.

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