WeeklyInSight | 18 January 2013

Features
Violence Drops in Zetas Stronghold During Peña Nieto's First 30 Days
The first month of President Enrique Peña Nieto's administration appears to have brought no let-up in the violence plaguing Mexico, though the patterns of killing have shifted in striking ways.

UN Coca Ruling Solves Only One of Bolivia's Problems
Bolivia won an important symbolic victory when the United Nations said it would no longer consider traditional uses of the coca leaf illegal within the Andean nation. However, this could increase the pressure on Bolivia to limit unauthorized coca production.

Survey Shows Drug Trade Filling Mexico's Federal Prisons
The first ever survey of inmates in Mexico's federal penitentiaries paints a picture of a prison population boom fed by the drug trade, and a corrupt and unresponsive justice system.

Analysis
Peña Nieto May Be Setting Himself Up for a Fall
Security analyst Alejandro Hope argues that while President Enrique Peña Nieto presented his security policy as a break from the past, much of what he has rolled out to date will do little to cut back violence in Mexico.

Zetas Fight Sinaloa Cartel for Guatemala Drug Routes: Perez
In comments that highlight the power of Mexican trafficking organizations in Guatemala, President Otto Perez said that the Zetas gang controlled two of the country’s biggest drug routes, and were fighting the Sinaloa Cartel for the third.

How Multinationals Can Help El Salvador's Ex-Gang Members
Multinational companies could play a role in building on the peace brought about by El Salvador's gang truce by helping former gang members re-enter the labor force, as a new report sets out.

News
Brazil Allows Police to Buy High Caliber Guns
The Brazilian military will now allow police and firefighters to buy powerful .45 caliber guns for personal use, raising fears over how the weapons will be used, and where they might end up.

'Teen Gang Fighting Honduras Maras for Extortion Profits'
Criminal gangs are fighting for control over extortion throughout the Honduran capital of Tegucigalpa, according to local media reports, pointing to the high value of the so-called "war taxes."

Twitter Producing New Breed of 'War Correspondents' in Mexico
A report from Microsoft looks at the emerging role of Twitter in sharing information about the Mexican drug war, highlighting the role of a small number of users who gather and disseminate large quantities of news.

More News

Multimedia
The leader of Colombia's ELN guerrillas asks the army to support peace

A massacre in Bogota illustrates the big profits from small drug sales




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