Conflict in the Latin America / Caribbean Region
|
|
 Latin
Anerica/Caribbean region (LAC)
LAC Countries with USAID missions
Countries experiencing violent, armed
conflict* within the last 5 years
* At least 250 conflict-related
deaths |
Overview
As Cold War support for ideologically-based struggles waned
in the late 1980's, peace accords began to end decades of
civil war in Latin American. Dictatorships were replaced by
democracies, and the region entered an era of comparative
peace. However, many of the issues that drove earlier conflicts
— economic crises, social disparities, competition over
access to land, and poor governance — still exist. Together
with the complicating dynamics of the drug trade, organized
crime, rapid urbanization, and exploding youth populations,
these factors continue to destabilize the region and open
the door for renewed violence.
Colombia has the highest level of violence in South America,
with a conflict involving the state, paramilitary organizations,
and rebel factions now entering its fourth decade. The conflict
is fueled and financed by the drug trade. However, political
and economic issues, including access to land, are important
underlying factors.
Although no other country in South America has experienced
comparable violence, many Andean countries continue to struggle
with instability. In Bolivia, controversy over benefits from
newly discovered natural gas reserves have added to tensions
caused by the coca trade and increasingly radical indigenous
movements. Strong class cleavages and declining economic growth,
especially in the oil sector, have fueled sharp political
divisions in Venezuela. Ecuador's economy continues to suffer
and political controversies abound. All three countries are
vulnerable to spillover from violence in Colombia.
Peace agreements are holding in Central America, but the
failure to resolve many issues that underpinned civil wars
in the region remains a concern. Severe economic disparities,
high levels of crime, and endemic violence undermine faith
in the Salvadoran government. Nicaragua's former war zones
in the Central and Atlantic regions are marked by continuing
poverty, instability, and the drug trade. Guatemala remains
one of the most inequitable societies in the Americas, characterized
by a proliferation of unresolved land rights issues.
In the Caribbean region, Haiti remains wracked by violence
and chaos. High levels of criminal violence, often tied to
political parties, continues to be a destabilizing force in
Jamaica.
Our Work: Country & Regional Highlights
Bolivia
DCHA/CMM provided support to USAID/Bolivia in order to launch
a pilot program that tests a model for mitigating conflicts
relating to resource management at the local level. The funds
will support a one-year activity aimed to promote local government
transparency and accountability of municipal governments as
well as mitigation of community violence through new analytical
tools. The activity aims to strengthen systems for citizens
to monitor local finances using a conflict lens to constructively
engage with local government authorities.
Colombia
DCHA/CMM and the mission have jointly funded the Restorative
Justice, Coexistence, and Peace Project, which helps establish
networks of public and private organizations that address
underlying causes of conflict, rebuild social ties, and restore
public safety in areas affected by violence. The project is
also working to incorporate restorative justice into Colombia's
legal framework. To facilitate this process, CMM conducted
an assessment of Columbia’s reparations program and
sponsored a restorative justice workshop with the Global Development
Alliance in Cali to enable the Mission to develop consensus
among Columbian government leaders and civil society members
on issues fundamental to the development of the peace process.
Initial results include the development of a Justice and Peace
Law and a Government survey of human rights victims.
Youth Gangs Assessment
CMM technical staff assisted the Latin America and Caribbean
Bureau in conducting a groundbreaking regional gang assessment.
Covering El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Mexico and Guatemala,
the assessment involved a desk study of salient literature
and best thinking on the nature, root causes and transboundary
nature of gang violence in each country, and review of gang-related
policies in Central America and the U.S. Field-based research
was conducted in all five countries to assist the team in
its review of USG programs and to help prioritize opportunities
for USAID, and to provide regional recommendations for programming.
|
