El Salvador

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U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Feb. 20 issued a statement confirming that the Trump administration designated eight transnational criminal groups as Specially Designated Global Terrorists, or SDGTs, in addition to their designations as Foreign Terrorist Organizations, or FTOs, which Rubio announced on Feb. 19.

U.S., Latin America: Criminal Groups Designated as Specially Designated Global Terrorists

Military & Security

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a notice designating eight transnational criminal groups as foreign terrorist organizations, Reuters reported on Feb. 19. 

U.S., Latin America: U.S. Declares Eight Transnational Criminal Groups Foreign Terrorist Organizations

Colombia

The Trump administration reportedly plans to designate eight Latin American criminal groups as foreign terrorist organizations, though the list has not been made official yet, The New York Times reported on Feb. 13, citing five anonymous U.S. officials. 

U.S., Latin America: Report Indicates Eight Criminal Organizations To Be Designated as Terrorist Groups

El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele agreed to accept in Salvadoran prisons U.S. nationals and legal residents currently arrested in the United States, as well as deportees of any nationality, La Jornada reported on Feb. 3.

U.S., El Salvador: Bukele To Use Security and Migration Policies To Sustain Close Ties With U.S.

Guatemala

The United States and El Salvador are working on a "safe third country" agreement that would allow Washington to deport non-Salvadoran migrants to El Salvador and block them from requesting asylum in the United States, CBS reported on Jan 27.

Americas: El Salvador and Guatemala Poised To Become 'Safe Third Countries' for Trump's Migration Policies

Costa Rica

Dominican Republic

Panama

China

Marco Rubio will visit Central American and Caribbean countries in his first official tour as U.S. Secretary of State, meeting with authorities in Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Panama and the Dominican Republic by the end of January, El Pais reported on Jan. 23.

U.S., Latin America: Rubio's Latin America Tour Underscores Trump's Focus on Immigration

Environment, Science & Technology

Science & Technology

El Salvador's Congress overturned a blanket ban on mining, which has been in force since 2017, Reuters reported Dec. 23.

El Salvador: Lift of Mining Ban to Create Business Opportunities but Pose Regulatory, Reputational Risks

The International Monetary Fund and El Salvador's government reached "preliminary understandings" on a program to strengthen the country's medium-term growth prospects and economic resilience, the IMF said in an Aug. 6 statement.

El Salvador: Government Talks With IMF Make Progress

Assessments

Canada

Israel

Lebanon

Europe

Hungary

Russia

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his wife Jeanette Rubio arrive at the State Department in Washington, D.C., to speak to employees on Jan. 21, 2025. 

A look at what the coming week will bring -- and a list of recommended RANE articles from the week that was.

The Weekly Rundown: Israel-Lebanon Ceasefire Expires, Rubio Tours Latin America

Americas

Argentina

Brazil

Chile

Cuba

Honduras

Nicaragua

U.S. border patrol officials drive near the wall along the Mexican border in Sasabe, Arizona, on Dec. 8, 2023. 

The fallout from Trump's pledged tariffs and mass deportations could worsen living conditions in countries like Mexico, though countries with like-minded leaders, like Argentina, may fare better.

What Trump's Focus on Immigration, Trade and Ideology Means for Latin America

Peru

Flooding on the Rimac River on March 18, 2017, in Chosica, at the foot of the Andes east of Lima, Peru. The current El Nino contributed to floods, crop failure, heat waves and drought across Latin America in 2023, and its effects will persist until it lifts in the second quarter of 2024.

The current El Nino contributed to floods, crop failure, heat waves and drought across Latin America in 2023, and its effects will persist until it lifts in the second quarter of 2024.

How El Nino Will Impact Latin America in 2024

Iran

Palestinian Territories

Germany

Pakistan

A picture taken from Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip shows smoke rising over buildings in Khan Yunis during an Israeli bombardment on Feb. 2, 2024. 

Israel-Hamas Conflict

U.S.-Iran Relations

The Weekly Rundown: A Potential Gaza Cease-Fire, Elections in Pakistan and El Salvador

Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele (C) speaks Oct. 26, 2023, in San Salvador, El Salvador.

A second Bukele administration would seek to consolidate political power and bolster the economy, but its efforts to do so could backfire.

How El Salvador's 2024 Presidential Election Could Play Out

Snapshots

Bolivia

People attend a rally in support of Israel in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Oct. 22, 2023. 

Social Issues

Anger over the conflict could temporarily strain Israel and the U.S.'s relations with left-wing governments in the region, while countries with large Jewish or Arab populations may see more security-related incidents.

Latin America's Response to the Israel-Hamas War 

Salvadoran security forces move a second group of 2,000 detainees overnight to the mega-prison Terrorist Confinement Center on March 15, 2023, in Tecoluca, El Salvador. 

El Salvador's successful state of emergency could convince other regional countries to attempt the same strategy, leading to safety, reputational and migratory risks.

The Appeal (and Perils) of Crime Crackdowns in Latin America, Part 2

Ecuador

Soldiers conduct a patrol on July 22, 2023, in the Salvadorean municipality of Colon, where the MS-13 gang reportedly remains active. 

The success of El Salvador's counter-crime state of emergency in reducing the country's homicide rate will be hard to replicate, despite the efforts of nearby countries.

The Appeal (and Perils) of Crime Crackdowns in Latin America, Part 1

Juan Orlando Hernandez, the former president of Honduras, is seen handcuffed at the headquarters of the country’s police force in Tegucigalpa on Feb. 15, 2022. He was arrested after receiving an extradition order from the United States. 

Security

Security Challenges in Latin America

The U.S. and the Balance of Power

The arrest of the Central American country’s former president over bribery charges marks a notable step in U.S. efforts to reduce migration flows from the region.

Biden’s Anti-Corruption Push Makes Headway in Honduras

Columns

On Security

Uganda

Hong Kong SAR, China

Belarus

Turkey

A demonstration against a Polish parliamentary vote seen as impinging on press freedoms Dec. 19, 2021, in Warsaw, Poland. Crackdowns on independent media and civil society groups pose long-term risks by silencing valuable local information sources and harming the business climate.

Political Instability & Social Unrest

U.S.-China Relations

Crackdowns on independent media and civil society groups pose long-term risks by silencing valuable local information sources and harming the business climate.

The Corporate Implications of Cracking Down on Domestic Dissent

Guidance

Cyber

Implementation difficulties will likely serve as a cautionary tale to other nations considering national digital currencies.

The Benefits, Risks and Constraints of El Salvador's Bitcoin Gambit

Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele delivers a press conference at a hotel in San Salvador on Feb. 28, 2021. 

COVID-19

His party's new legislative majority will enable President Bukele to appoint Supreme Court justices and pass sweeping constitutional reforms.

An Election Brings El Salvador’s President Closer to Complete Control

The tiny country of El Salvador is typical of Central America's geographic challenges. Nestled south of Honduras, southeast of Guatemala and northwest of Nicaragua, El Salvador's landmass is small &mdash; even compared to its neighbors. Throughout most of its history, El Salvador was an agricultural society. The mountainous terrain and relative isolation from the rest of the world encouraged subsistence agriculture but very little profitable economic activity. Despite the growth of some industry, such as textile manufacturing, in the late 20th century, El Salvador remains a very underdeveloped country.    This underdevelopment fostered stark political divisions in the country's society. Abroad, El Salvador is perhaps best known for a 13-year civil war between communist-backed forces and the U.S.-backed government. The war ended in 1992, but the country remains politically split along economic class lines and between the left and right. The main political parties in the country are those organized around members of the now-disbanded leftist guerrilla movement and the right-leaning government.    Illegal migration and violent crime remain the principal concern in El Salvador for the United States. El Salvador is simply too small and too resource-poor to sustain its population. Explosive population growth in the mid-20th century, endemic poverty and civil war caused mass migration abroad. More than a million Salvadorans fled the country, mostly to the United States. After the conflict, violent crime &mdash; mainly in the form of criminal gangs such as MS-13 and Barrio 18, and their numerous cliques across the country &mdash; compounded the migration problem. To this day, remittances from Salvadorans living in the United States are one of the main sources of foreign income for the country's economy. For the United States, neither of the security concerns from El Salvador are first-tier foreign policy priorities. Instead, they are persistent issues that some administrations choose to take more seriously than others.

SITUATION REPORTS

U.S., Latin America: Criminal Groups Designated as Specially Designated Global Terrorists

U.S., Latin America: U.S. Declares Eight Transnational Criminal Groups Foreign Terrorist Organizations

U.S., Latin America: Report Indicates Eight Criminal Organizations To Be Designated as Terrorist Groups

U.S., El Salvador: Bukele To Use Security and Migration Policies To Sustain Close Ties With U.S.

Americas: El Salvador and Guatemala Poised To Become 'Safe Third Countries' for Trump's Migration Policies

U.S., Latin America: Rubio's Latin America Tour Underscores Trump's Focus on Immigration

El Salvador: Lift of Mining Ban to Create Business Opportunities but Pose Regulatory, Reputational Risks

El Salvador: Government Talks With IMF Make Progress

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