In a week with a lot of big organized crime news, I found my attention drawn to something that almost passed under the radar: an interview by the Spanish newspaper El País with Albert Ramdin, the secretary general of the Organization of American States (OAS).
Much of the interview with the top diplomat for the regional body focused on the aggressive posture the United States has taken toward combating organized crime in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Ramdin acknowledged that US actions like the airstrikes on alleged drug boats and the military deployment near Venezuela have highlighted deep political divisions in the region. But he pointed out that US economic influence gives it significant sway in multilateral discussions.
“It’s not fair to depend on a single member state and expect that state not to say, ‘Things have to be done my way,’” Ramdin said.
For me, the interview underscored how citizens and policymakers have to factor their relationship with the United States into their security policy choices – a dynamic we saw playing out in recent days.
Bolivia announced last week that it would welcome US anti-drug assistance after nearly two decades of refusing it, as part of a broader reestablishment of closer US relations under a new conservative government.
On the other hand, Ecuadorian voters this week rejected a proposal to reestablish US military bases there, showing skepticism about hardline policies pushed by the pro-Trump President Daniel Noboa, which have done little to tamp down gang violence.
Organized crime has long been a hot-button political issue in Latin America, and US relations often shape security policy decisions. This seems increasingly true as the United States puts organized crime at the top of its agenda and pressures its partners to adopt its preferred, militaristic approach.
Stay tuned as we follow how these developments impact the regional criminal landscape.
