The free economy is nothing but the system based on respect for private property plus the free movement of goods, money and people. All those rights are affected by the violence of terrorism and totalitarian regimes.

Several institutes in the Americas have programs focusing on the interaction of economics and security and HACER will try to enhance their efforts. We will be including more institutional links, publications, and policy experts as we progress in our efforts.

Relevant News:

9/11, Terrorism And Brazil: Facts About The Tri-Border Region (English) 12/26/2004

A Trial for Peru's Terrorist Mastermind (English) 11/01/2004

Colombia: US Sends More Military Aid To Fight Terrorism (Spanish) 10/12/2004

Spain: The End of ETA? (English) 10/10/2004

Argentina: FARC & AlQaeda's Action In the Triple Frontier (Spanish) 10/10/2004

Peru: Update On Shining Path's Activities (English) 10/01/2004

Musharraf's Trip to Latin America Risky: US Analyst (English) 09/09/2004

Connecting the Dots On South American Terrorism (Portuguese) 09/02/2004

21st Century Terrorism in Latin America (English) 08/30/2004

FARC Congratulates Chavez (English) 08/20/2004

Castro and Terrorism: A Chronology (English) 07/29/2004

FARC Operating In Brazil (Portuguese) 07/23/2004

Spain-Argentina Diplomatic Relationship and ETA Terrorism (Spanish) 07/22/2004

ETA Terrorist May Obtain Asylum in Argentina (Spanish) 07/21/2004

Colombia: FARC Training Suicide Terrorists (Spanish) 03/2004


Articles of Note:

  Threats and Challenges for Mexican Security (English)
This paper is divided in three sections. First, it presents the conventional threats to security: armed aggression between states, unresolved disputes of maritime and land borders, and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and the need to generate a national debate on defense policy is discussed. The second part analyses non-conventional threats to security: terrorism, vulnerability emerging from the increasing use of information technologies, drug dealing, transnational organized crime, violations to private property, illicit arms trafficking, asset laundering, increasing citizen insecurity, and threats to key infrastructure and communications networks. Finally, it establishes a series of final considerations divided into two groups. On the one hand, we define the problems with which the government and Mexican society are confronted and that will need to be resolved in light of the situation presented in this paper. On the other hand, we present some alternatives that could make it easier for Mexico to resolve and give answer to the new security demands

  Venezuela: Security Paper (English)
President Hugo Chavez is leading the country to the worst: civil war. If the revolution has not yet gone as far as it wanted, it is only because it has encountered unexpected resistance. This paper deals with the threat to the people that comes directly from their own government or indirectly through their own mobs or cohorts. All other threats that might be are minimal in comparison.

  Brazil: Economics, Security, Intelligence & Defense (English)
The paper shows which are the main Brazilian problems related to security and defense issues. Since the democratization of the country the defense sector has faced a difficult dilemma: the civil society is still plagued with a superficial view of it as part of the authoritarian regime and the military age. But defense has to be considered in its broader meaning: internal and external actions on security concern. Internally Brazil has a problem with criminality and the importance of the market for illegal drugs should not be minimized. In the external front, the geopolitics cannot be ignored.

  The Budget for State Security In Bolivia (English)
The expenses incurred in Bolivia for the security of the State that may be considered “pro-defense” are mainly linked to the activities carried out by the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of the Government. This paper analyzes this expenses in details and linked them to the economic situation of the country.

  Security, Defense and Public Budget In Paraguay (English)

  Analysis of the Guatemalan National Budget and the Resources Devoted to Security and Defense (English)
The objective of the paper is to serve as a starting point in the discussion of the Guatemalan national budget and to identify aspects that should be approached in greater depth in later studies. The distinguishing characteristic of this report is that it was made from an economic perspective. A particular effort was made to compile and integrate that budgetary information of the last three decade in order to count on a perspective that allowed analyzing the cost of the defense and internal security sector since the internal armed conflict.

  Defense and Security in the Dominican Republic (English)
The paper addressed the new security and defense demands that the country faced, and the changes that has been produced since fall of Trujillo dictartorship. Globalization and 9/11 changed the country defense strategy. In addition, the national army started the last years a process of getting more professional in a human forces perspective and modernizes its equipment.

  Foreign Policy of a Democratic Spain (Spanish)

Security Environment In Latin America: Perspectives From Argentina, Brazil and Colombia (English)

Mexican Security and Defense Doctrines: From the 19th to the 21st Centuries (English)

U.S. Interests in Latin America - By Otto Reich (English)

War Without End - By Alejandro A. Chafuen (English)

Narcoterrorism - By Alejandro A. Chafuen (English)

Cuatro Factores en la Estrategia de Seguridad (Spanish)
By Mario Iván Carratú Molina


Publications:

Por Amor al Odio - By Carlos Manuel Acuña (Spanish)


Events:

Transnational Security Seminar
August 24 & 31 - CEMA - Buenos Aires, Argentina