HomeNewsBriefArgentina's President-elect Pledges Swift Security Measures
BRIEF

Argentina's President-elect Pledges Swift Security Measures

ARGENTINA / 24 NOV 2015 BY MICHAEL LOHMULLER EN

Argentina's newly elected president Mauricio Macri has pledged to implement tough anti-crime measures as soon as he assumes office, but he faces a tough task in reversing the country's slide into insecurity and the spread of organized crime.

After winning a hotly contested election by 51 percent of the vote against opponent Daniel Scioli's 49 percent on November 22, Macri announced one of his first acts after taking office on December 10 will be to declare a state of emergency against the "unpardonable" rise of violent crime, reported the Los Angeles Times.

"We have to start from the first day [in office] to take control of the territory," Macri asserted, sending "a clear message to those [drug traffickers] who are hoping to install themselves and operate in Argentina."

Macri added that government inaction to halt the advance of drug trafficking in Argentina under the administration of his predecessor, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, has been "incomprehensible and inexcusable."

Once in office, Macri said a plan would be put in motion to "professionalize" provincial police forces. Policing techniques that Macri claims reduced crime in Buenos Aires, where he has been mayor since 2007, will be instituted across the country, according to the Los Angeles Times.

During his campaign, Macri promised to "defeat drug trafficking," and expressed support for militarizing drug policy, including the shooting down of suspected drug planes.

InSight Crime Analysis

Reining in Argentina's rising violence levels and growing role in the regional drug trade will be an uphill battle for Macri.

In recent years, organized crime and drug trafficking have been on the increase in Argentina, with foreign drug trafficking organizations establishing a strong presence and becoming increasingly entrenched in the country. These foreign groups use Argentine territory as a transit point for drug shipments destined for West Africa and Europe, and also help fuel a growing domestic drug market.

SEE ALSO: Coverage of Argentina

Of further concern -- and potential frustration for Macri's anti-crime efforts -- is that the spread of drug trafficking has demonstrated signs of hollowing out Argentine state institutions via corruption, with recent cases including allegations over the complicity of government officials in cocaine production and federal judges taking bribes from drug traffickers. Such criminal allegations have even reached the upper-echelons of government, with Anibal Fernandez, Argentina's current Chief of the Cabinet of Ministers, accused of heading a precursor chemical trafficking network.

Compounding the challenges Macri will face in enacting new security policies is that he lacks majority support in Congress, and is inheriting a deeply divided political environment. However, Macri can at least take some comfort in that Argentina's judiciary appears to be ready to take on a more active role in supporting government attempts to dismantle criminal networks operating in the country. 

share icon icon icon

Was this content helpful?

We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.

DONATE

What are your thoughts? Click here to send InSight Crime your comments.

We encourage readers to copy and distribute our work for non-commercial purposes, with attribution to InSight Crime in the byline and links to the original at both the top and bottom of the article. Check the Creative Commons website for more details of how to share our work, and please send us an email if you use an article.

Was this content helpful?

We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.

DONATE

Related Content

ARGENTINA / 25 OCT 2021

Argentine province bordering Uruguay has become a transit hub for drug trafficking out of Paraguay, revealing a new route used…

COLOMBIA / 1 MAY 2023

Colombia’s new security policy has put the fight against deforestation front and center, but several challenges loom ahead of its…

EL SALVADOR / 13 DEC 2021

Efforts to reduce gang violence are often thought of as highly dependent on local conditions, but a recent report looks…

About InSight Crime

THE ORGANIZATION

Venezuela Coverage Receives Great Reception

27 MAY 2023

Several of InSight Crime’s most recent articles about Venezuela have been well received by regional media. Our article on Venezuela’s colectivos expanding beyond their political role to control access to…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime's Chemical Precursor Report Continues

19 MAY 2023

For the second week in a row, our investigation into the flow of precursor chemicals for the manufacture of synthetic drugs in Mexico has been cited by multiple regional media…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime’s Chemical Precursor Report Widely Cited

THE ORGANIZATION / 12 MAY 2023

We are proud to see that our recently published investigation into the supply chain of chemical precursors feeding Mexico’s synthetic drug production has been warmly received.

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime’s Paraguay Election Coverage Draws Attention 

5 MAY 2023

InSight Crime looked at the various anti-organized crime policies proposed by the candidates in Paraguay’s presidential election, which was won on April 30 by Santiago Peña. Our pre-election coverage was cited…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime Cited in OAS, CARICOM Reports

28 APR 2023

This week, InSight Crime’s work was cited nine times in a new report by the Organization of American States (OAS) titled “The Impact of Organized Crime on Women,…