Security Assistance - Latin America
The interwoven drug and arms trade across international borders, especially the U.S. border, remains an endemic issue in the region. For many countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, small arms violence contributes to human rights abuses and poor human security. The recent Nobel Peace Prize to the President of Colombia, and nationally defeated peace referendum, thrusts the region again into the spotlight. Colombia currently receives the largest amount of U.S. military and police assistance in the Latin American and Caribbean region, according to Security Assistance Monitor research. The Americas account for 9.6% of imports of major conventional weapons worldwide between 2011 - 2015, according to SIPRI's latest research, with the United States, Venezuela and Brazil the top three weapons importers respectively.
The candidate is expected to support security assistance to the region, having said that she supports a "Plan Colombia" approach to Latin America
General secuirty assistance to the region
Although questions regarding Latin America and security assistance to the region have not surfaced in the major debates, Clinton commented in April 2016 that her approach to the region would be close to a “Plan Colombia” approach. In an interview with Juan Gonzalez, Clinton described the “Plan Colombia” approach to the region as a track used by Bill Clinton and George Bush during their times as president, with an aim to use leverage over governments to stop their most abusive behavior, while also assisting their efforts against the FARC. For many critics, "Plan Colombia" in which assistance to policy and military efforts was much higher than that to economic or social efforts, contributed to significant human rights abuses. (See Amnesty USA note.) Clinton's support of this approach indicates a commitment to significant security assistance to the region. Position on small arms The candidate's position on small arms may have influence on the flow of small arms to Latin America. Clinton has stated her aims to “stand up to the NRA (National Rifle Association)” and attempts to make it more difficult to acquire small arms at the CNN Democratic Debate in 2015. In the Second and Third Presidential Candidate debates Clinton said that she supports comprehensive background checks, and closing both the gun show and online loopholes. This position may thus reduce the number of available small arms and therefore their illicit flow to Latin America. |
The candidate is expected to favor reduced security assistance based on his comments that security assistance is, generally, expensive for the United States
General security assistance to the region
Trump’s comments on assistance on a general level would suggest that Trump takes a skeptical position regarding security assistance to states in Latin America. During a March 2016 CNN interview, Trump indicated that supporting other regions was not affordable. Mexico Trump has been very outspoken about the need for a wall to be built between Mexico and the United States, with controversy about who would pay for it. In his Presidential Announcement in June 2015, Trump said that people coming from Latin America are bringing problems, and that this needs to be stopped. These words imply a policy response, but it is unclear if this would be in a military or economic form. During a visit to Mexico and press conference with Mexican president Enrique Peǹa Nieto in late August 2016, it was agreed that cooperation on issues regarding drug cartels and the movement of illegal drugs, weapons and people would be important for Trump. It is unclear what form this cooperation would take. Controversy about the wall continued after the conference as Trump said it was not fully discussed there. Position on small arms The candidate's position on small arms may influence the flow of small arms to Latin America. Trump promises to defend the Second Amendment, and does not support restricting weapons. Rather, Trump aims to decrease gun violence through law and order, including an increased police presence. It is doubtful whether this approach would impact the illicit flow of small arms to Latin America. |
Hillary Clinton Quotes |
Donald Trump Quotes |
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October 19, 2016 - Third Presidential Candidate Debate
"Well, first of all, I support the Second Amendment. I lived in Arkansas for 18 wonderful years. I represented upstate New York. I understand and respect the tradition of gun ownership." October 9, 2016 - Second Presidential Candidate Debate
"And I just want to quickly say, I respect the Second Amendment. But I believe there should be comprehensive background checks, and we should close the gun show loophole, and close the online loophole." 2016 – Hillary Clinton Official Website
From the Middle East and Asia to Europe and our own hemisphere, Hillary will strengthen the essential partnerships that are a unique source of America’s strength. April 13, 2016 – Interview with Juan Gonzalez
“I think we need to do more of a Colombian plan for Central America, because remember what was going on in Colombia when first my husband and then followed by President Bush had Plan Colombia, which was to try to use our leverage to rein in the government in their actions against the FARC and the guerrillas, but also to help the government stop the advance of the FARC and guerrillas, and now we’re in the middle of peace talks. It didn’t happen overnight; it took a number of years. But I want to see a much more comprehensive approach toward Central America, because it’s not just Honduras. The highest murder rate is in El Salvador, and we’ve got Guatemala with all the problems you know so well." October 13, 2015 – CNN Democratic Debate
“I think that we have to look at the fact that we lose ninety people a day to gun violence. This has gone on too long and it’s time that our country stand up against the NRA. The majority of our country supports background checks and even the majority of gun owners do." |
October 19, 2016 - Third Presidential Candidate Debate
"Now, I want to build the wall. We need the wall. And the Border Patrol, ICE, they all want the wall. We stop the drugs. We shore up the border. One of my first acts will be to get all of the drug lords, all of the bad ones -- we have some bad, bad people in this country that have to go out. We're going to get them out; we're going to secure the border. And once the border is secured, at a later date, we'll make a determination as to the rest. But we have some bad hombres here, and we're going to get them out." October 9, 2016 - Second Presidential Candidate Debate
"We’re going to bring back law and order. Just today, policemen was shot, two killed. And this is happening on a weekly basis. We have to bring back respect to law enforcement. At the same time, we have to take care of people on all sides. We need justice." September 26, 2016 – Presidential Candidate Debate
“Secretary Clinton doesn't want to use a couple of words, and that's law and order. And we need law and order. If we don't have it, we're not going to have a country.” August 31, 2016 – Donald Trump and Enrique Pena Nieto's Press Conference Statement
“Number two, having a secure border is a sovereign right and mutually beneficial. We recognize and respect the right of either country to build a physical barrier or wall on any of its borders to stop the illegal movement of people, drugs and weapons. Cooperation toward achieving the shared objective, and it will be shared of safety for all citizens is paramount, to both the United States and to Mexico." March 29, 2016 – CNN Milwaukee Republican Presidential Town Hall
"We are supporting nations now, militarily, we are supporting nations like Saudi Arabia which was making during the good oil days which was a year ago, now they're making less but still a lot, $1 billion a day. June 28, 2015 – CNN Interview
“You have people coming through the border (with Mexico) that are from all over. And they're bad. They're really bad. I have spoken to border guards, and I said, how bad is it? They said, Mr. Trump, you have no idea how bad. You have people coming in -- and I'm not just saying Mexicans. I'm talking about people that are from all over that are killers and rapists. And, I mean, they're coming into this country.” June 16, 2015 – Presidential Announcement Speech
"When Mexico sends its people, they're not sending their best … They're sending people that have lots of problems, and they're bringing those problems. They're bringing drugs. They're bringing crime. They're rapists. And some, I assume, are good people. But I speak to border guards and they tell us what we're getting. And it only makes common sense… They're sending us not the right people." |