All About Merida Initiative

ANALYSIS

10 Years of the Mérida Initiative: Violence and Corruption

MERIDA INITIATIVE / 26 DEC 2018

The Mérida Initiative celebrates its tenth anniversary this year. Yet since it began providing funding for security in Mexico, problems to do with violence and institutionalized corruption have worsened,…

HUMAN RIGHTS / 20 OCT 2015

Citing a failure to meet human rights goals, the United States government has withheld $5 million in anti-narcotics funding for Mexico, dealing a sharp symbolic blow to the administration of…

CRIMINAL MIGRATION / 25 JUL 2014

The presidents of Guatemala and Honduras have used the Central American child migrant crisis to call for regional security investment from the United States along the lines of "Plan Colombia,"…

MERIDA INITIATIVE / 23 JUL 2013

Almost a hundred illegal landing strips have been destroyed in Mexico so far this year, a continuation of the significant downward trend over the last six years.

MERIDA INITIATIVE / 24 MAY 2013

InSight Crime Co-Director Steven Dudley was invited to testify before US Congress on May 23, in order to provide an overview of US-Mexico security cooperation, with special emphasis on the…

MERIDA INITIATIVE / 3 MAY 2013

Dear President Obama: as you surely remember, your last visit to Mexico City, around April 2009, found us at a pretty bad moment.

CARSI / 12 APR 2013

The US State Department budget proposal for 2014 has reduced aid for Colombia and Mexico while increasing funds for Central America, reflecting changes in regional priorities.

MERIDA INITIATIVE / 6 FEB 2013

A US Congress report notes potential conflicts with the new Mexican government over how to tackle organized crime, highlighting President Enrique Peña Nieto's plan to prioritize violence reduction over drug…

MERIDA INITIATIVE / 18 JAN 2013

The United States will set up a new special operations headquarters to train Mexican security forces in counter-terrorism techniques, an offshoot of the military aid package, the Merida…

DRUG POLICY / 11 JAN 2013

The incoming Mexican ambassador to Washington called for renewed debate on drug prohibition and on gun control within the United States, and said there would be changes…

MERIDA INITIATIVE / 9 OCT 2012

The US defense secretary has cautioned Latin American countries against relying on their militaries for law enforcement, which could point to a changing focus in US policy in the region.

JUDICIAL REFORM / 19 JUL 2012

A new report from the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee has called for a decrease in the Mexican military's role in fighting organized crime, citing alleged army human rights abuses…

HOMICIDES / 14 MAR 2012

During testimony before the US Senate, a top military commander said that the targeting of drug cartel leaders did not have an apparent positive effect in Mexico, an unusual admission…

About InSight Crime

THE ORGANIZATION

Venezuela Coverage Continues to be Highlighted

3 MAR 2023

This week, InSight Crime co-director Jeremy McDermott was the featured guest on the Americas Quarterly podcast, where he provided an expert overview of the changing dynamics…

THE ORGANIZATION

Venezuela's Organized Crime Top 10 Attracts Attention

24 FEB 2023

Last week, InSight Crime published its ranking of Venezuela’s ten organized crime groups to accompany the launch of the Venezuela Organized Crime Observatory. Read…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime on El País Podcast

10 FEB 2023

This week, InSight Crime co-founder, Jeremy McDermott, was among experts featured in an El País podcast on the progress of Colombia’s nascent peace process.

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime Interviewed by Associated Press

3 FEB 2023

This week, InSight Crime’s Co-director Jeremy McDermott was interviewed by the Associated Press on developments in Haiti as the country continues its prolonged collapse. McDermott’s words were republished around the world,…

THE ORGANIZATION

Escaping Barrio 18

27 JAN 2023

Last week, InSight Crime published an investigation charting the story of Desafío, a 28-year-old Barrio 18 gang member who is desperate to escape gang life. But there’s one problem: he’s…