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Introduction
Over the last several decades, governments have collectively pledged to slow global warming. But despite intensified diplomacy, the world is already facing the consequences of climate…
Social Issues
Drug Policy
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Two Nations IndivisibleIn this book, CFR Senior Fellow Shannon K. O’Neil explains that beyond the narrative of violence that dominates the headlines is a more hopeful Mexico with a globally competitive economy, a rising middle class, and increasingly influential pro-democracy voters—a country the United States should see as a partner, not a problem. Teaching notes by the author.
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Plagued by Crime, Mexico Creates New Police ForceSince entering Los Pinos last year, Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto has wasted no time in pushing some of Mexico’s most-needed economic reforms through Congress, but the same has not been true f…
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Mexico’s Drug WarDespite its booming economy, Mexico continues to struggle with alarmingly high levels of violence linked to drugs and organized crime. This video primer examines the crisis and explores policy options for Mexico and the United States.
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Transforming Brazil’s FavelasI got the chance last week to visit the Centro Comunitário Lídia dos Santos (or CEACA), an NGO based in the Rio de Janeiro favela of Morro dos Macacos—once the grounds of a zoo, and now home to some …
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Refocusing U.S.-Mexico Security CooperationU.S.-Mexico security cooperation, led by the Merida Initiative, is vital and must continue. But with Enrique Pena Nieto's inauguration, Mexico's political landscape is now changing, and the United St…
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Calderón’s Presidency by the NumbersAs President Calderón’s sexenio wraps up tomorrow, he will leave office with a mixed legacy. Many have presented interesting analyses of his policies, but this post looks at concrete numbers—developm…
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Paradigm Shift: Efforts to Reform Drug PolicyDirector Kerlikowske will discuss the state of global drug policy, including a new emphasis on programs that recognize drug addiction as a disease of the brain instead of a moral failure, trends in drug consumption domestically and internationally, and the diversification of transnational criminal organizations.
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Paradigm Shift: Efforts to Reform Drug PolicyGil Kerlikowske, director of the National Drug Control Policy, discusses global drug policy, including a new emphasis on programs that recognize drug addiction as a disease of the brain instead of a moral failure, domestic and international trends in drug consumption, and the diversification of transnational criminal organizations.
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Countering Criminal Violence in Central America
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Overview Violent crime in Central America—particularly in the "northern triangle" of Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala—is reaching breathtaking levels. Murder rates in the region are among the … -
Guest Post: Why Guatemala’s Pérez Molina Is Considering Legalizing DrugsThis is a guest post by Natalie Kitroeff, a research associate here at the Council on Foreign Relations who works with me in the Latin America program. She received her BA from Princeton University’s…
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Can Vázquez Mota Win Mexico’s Presidential Election?I wrote a piece on Vázquez Mota and what it means for the Mexican election for Foreign Affairs entitled "Vázquez Mota and the 2012 Mexican Election". In it I argue that she has the potential to upend…
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Mexico’s Underground Economy and Illicit Money OutflowsYesterday Global Financial Integrity released a new report, “Mexico: Illicit Financial Flows, Macroeconomic Imbalances, and the Underground Economy,” which provides an in-depth look at flows of illic…
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2011 Trends in Latin America: Shifting ViolenceA stuffed bear hangs from a cross of a child's grave at the children section of the San Rafael cemetery in Ciudad Juarez (Courtesy Reuters). Latin America has the ignominious distinction of being on…
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Trends in U.S. Drug UseA pharmacy employee looks for medication as she works to fill a prescription while working at a pharmacy in New York December 23, 2009 (Lucas Jackson/Courtesy Reuters). The U.S. Substance Abuse and …
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Explaining Violence in MexicoSoldiers stand guard in their military vehicle outside a clandestine drug processing laboratory discovered in Zapotlanejo (Courtesy Reuters). There are many theories out there about why we have see…
