RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Carol Graham and Jeremy Shapiro, August 13, 2009, The Washington Post
Though Afghanistan has been at war much of the last 30 years, Carol Graham and Jeremy Shapiro find that Afghans remain surprisingly happy. Graham and Shapiro believe adaptations to crime and corruption play a major role and argue that better understanding of multiple happiness factors, including Taliban influence, should shape future U.S. strategy in the country. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Diana Villiers Negroponte, May 31, 2009, The Brookings Institution
The rising level of violence in Central America, as well as Mexico, has created sensational headlines and Hollywood style footage on the nightly news. Diana Negroponte examines the reasons for the growth in public insecurity and crime within El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras to determine an appropriate response. Read More
PAST EVENT
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Washington, DC
On May 26, the Latin America Initiative at Brookings and the Washington Office for Latin America hosted a discussion on the Central American component of the Merida Initiative, a 3-year program that provides funding for a wide-range of drug interdiction, prevention and intervention activities throughout Mexico, Central America and select Caribbean countries. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Bilal Y. Saab and Alexandra W. Taylor, May 22, 2009, Studies in Conflict & Terrorism
Bilal Saab and Alexandra Taylor analyze how terrorist groups and armed insurgents in Colombia regularly exploit illicit markets to launder money, traffic illegal goods, and purchase arms. The authors find that group goals, the political environment, and membership strongly influence the types of criminal activities a given armed group undertakes. They conclude that membership and political agenda of sub-state armed groups not only distinguishes them from criminal groups, but also shapes their criminal behavior. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Kevin Casas-Zamora, April 22, 2009, The Brookings Institution
Kevin Casas-Zamora believes the report of the Latin American Commission on Drugs and Democracy is a significant addition to an urgent conversation in the hemisphere. Casas-Zamora argues that, with a new U.S. administration far less hooked to the socially conservative attitudes that have long defined the debate, a frank discussion on drugs—both domestic and international—can at last begin. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Vanda Felbab-Brown, April 17, 2009, United States Agency for International Development
Vanda Felbab-Brown and several other authors produced a report evaluating Plan Columbia for review by the United States Agency for Development. The study provides an assessment of the success of counternarcotics strategies to date and offers recommendations for the U.S. government to strengthen future efforts. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
April 13, 2009, The Brookings Institution
Leaders of the Western Hemisphere gathered in Trinidad and Tobago on April 17-19, 2009 for the fifth Summit of the Americas. In a series of commentary articles focused on the summit's agenda and key challenges, Brookings experts discuss critical economic, social, energy and climate change issues facing the leaders attending the summit and propose recommendations for policy action. Read More
VIDEO
Mauricio Cárdenas, April 10, 2009
Mauricio Cárdenas, director of the Latin America Initiative, says the focus of the fifth Summit of the Americas will be the global economic crisis. He also explains that the nations need to agree on strengthening regional development banks and that certain countries need open trade.
PAST EVENT
Monday, April 06, 2009
10:00 AM to 11:30 AM
Washington, DC
On April 6, the Brookings Institution hosted former President of Brazil Fernando Henrique Cardoso and former President of Colombia César Gaviria for the U.S. release of the report “Drugs and Democracy: Toward a Paradigm Shift” by the Latin American Commission on Drugs and Democracy. As co-presidents of the Commission, Presidents Cardoso and Gaviria presented findings of the report and discussed its recommendations for reducing harm caused by illegal narcotics to people, societies and public institutions. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Vanda Felbab-Brown, March 09, 2009, The Brookings Institution
Drug-related violence and the breakdown in security in Mexico have escalated to extraordinary levels over the past two years. Vanda Felbab-Brown examines this growing threat to civil society in Mexico, the spillover of crime into the U.S., how the situation compares to similar struggles in Colombia, and offers recommendations for a new strategy in the region. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Vanda Felbab-Brown, February 26, 2009, The Diane Rehm Show
Mexico's Attorney General says his country does not need help in its fight against drug cartels. But some including Vanda Felbab-Brown see the increased violence as a national security threat to U.S. Felbab-Brown joined Diane Rehm and guests to discuss drug violence in Mexico and how it is affecting its northern neighbor. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Andrés Rozental and Stanley A. Weiss, February 25, 2009, The Dallas Morning News
Andrés Rozental and Stanley Weiss examine Mexico's difficult fight against drug cartels and how the continued high number of Americans using illicit drugs is helping push Mexico toward the brink. As Mexico fights its war on supply, Rozental and Weiss argue the U.S. must fulfill its responsibility to curb the war on demand while also considering gradual legalization of some substances. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Vanda Felbab-Brown, February 12, 2009, International Peacekeeping
Vanda Felbab-Brown analyzes the role that the illicit narcotics economy has played in violent conflict in Afghanistan since the 1990s and the relationship between counter-narcotics and counter-insurgency policy in the country today. Felbab-Brown provides policy recommendations on the security role of peacekeeping forces with respect to illicit economies. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Bruce Western, December 04, 2008, Hamilton Project Discussion Paper
Around seven hundred thousand mostly low-income and minority men and women are released from prison each year. Returning to lives of low wages and high rates of unemployment, about two thirds will be rearrested within three years. Bruce Western proposes a national prisoner reentry program whose core element is up to a year of transitional employment available to all parolees in need of work. Read More
PAST EVENT
Monday, November 24, 2008
10:30 AM to 12:00 PM
Washington, DC
On November 24, the Brookings Institution hosted the Partnership for the Americas Commission for the release of their report, “Re-thinking U.S.-Latin American Relations: A Hemispheric Partnership for a Turbulent World," which offers a set of policy recommendations to the next U.S. administration to meet the challenges facing the U.S. and Latin America, from economic and poverty policies to security, foreign policy and energy. Read More