Methodology
Coding of maritime events in Latin America & the Caribbean
How ACLED codes maritime events in Latin America and the Caribbean when precise locations are unknown.
Key takeaways:
- Maritime locations reflect either coastal reference points or standardized offshore subdivisions.
- When specific geolocation information is unclear, offshore coordinates represent broad zones rather than exact locations of events.
- When affiliation of targeted actors cannot be confirmed, unidentified groups are coded and alternative or conflicting claims are recorded in the event notes.
Maritime events in Latin America and the Caribbean, particularly those associated with US operations purportedly targeting drug-trafficking networks, are frequently reported without precise coordinates or clear geographic reference points. Because of this, ACLED’s standard approach to geolocation cannot always be applied. To mitigate this issue, ACLED divides maritime locations in the region into geographic subdivisions based on cardinal/inter-cardinal directions, which allow events to be grouped into broad but meaningful geographic zones. These locations are intended to reflect the best information available and to support analysis of spatial patterns even when location reporting is limited.
Maritime events in the Latin America and the Caribbean dataset fall into two main geographic categories, depending on whether the event occurred within a country’s territorial waters or in international waters. How the event appears in the location column reflects this distinction:
|
Maritime area |
How it appears in the location column |
How to interpret the coded location |
|
Territorial waters |
Coded to Coast of [location or administrative division level] (e.g., “Coast of Cartagena”) |
Indicates that the event occurred within approximately 22 km of a coastline, and is therefore linked to the nearest known coastal location or administrative area. |
|
International waters |
Coded to a predefined maritime subdivision (e.g., “Northwestern Caribbean Sea”) |
Used for events that occurred beyond territorial waters or described only as occurring “offshore” or “at sea,” etc. If exact coordinates are available, they are used; otherwise, the event is coded to standard reference coordinates assigned to the relevant maritime subdivision. |
Maritime subdivisions in Latin America and the Caribbean
The following maritime subdivisions are used to represent events that occur in international waters. Each subdivision is associated with a single set of standard reference coordinates that should be interpreted as controlled approximations, not exact event locations. The corresponding country coded in the country column in the dataset will reflect the best information available from reporting.
When more detailed geographic information is available, such as the exact or approximate coordinates, that information is coded instead of the standard reference point.
|
Pacific ocean subdivisions |
||
|
Eastern Central Pacific Ocean |
Used for events reported in waters near Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, or Panama. |
12.0867, -115.1763 |
|
Eastern South Pacific Ocean |
Used for events reported in waters near Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, or Chile. |
-18.1741, -102.8113 |
|
Caribbean sea subdivisions |
||
|
Northwestern Caribbean Sea |
Used for events reported in waters near Haiti, Jamaica, Belize, Honduras, Guatemala, Cayman Islands, Cuba, Mexico, Bahamas, or Turks and Caicos. |
17.3618, -80.3087 |
|
Northeastern Caribbean Sea |
Used for events reported in waters near the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, Antigua and Barbuda, or Saint Kitts and Nevis. |
16.9636, -67.9146 |
|
Southwestern Caribbean Sea |
Used for events reported in waters near Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, or Nicaragua. |
12.9689, -78.0879 |
|
Southeastern Caribbean Sea |
Used for events reported in waters near Venezuela, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Guyana, Suriname, or Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. |
13.7813, -66.9258 |
|
Caribbean Sea |
Generic location used when sources state only that the event occurred in the “Caribbean Sea” without links to any nearby country or identifiable subdivision. |
15.3816, -71.3466 |
Figure 1: Map showing location subdivisions
How ACLED codes actors in maritime events involving US operations purportedly targeting drug-trafficking networks
Attribution in maritime strike reporting is often unclear or contradictory, especially when reports reference “alleged drug-trafficking vessels.” When affiliation is unclear or disputed, any alternative versions or conflicting claims are recorded in the Notes column for transparency. ACLED codes the targeted actor using the following approach:
- Unidentified Armed Group or Unidentified Gang: Coded by default when the target is an alleged organized criminal or drug trafficking group. The country of origin for these actors is included only when there is information available about the nationality of the victims. If there is no information available, the default actor coded is Unidentified Armed Group/Unidentified Gang (International).
- Named armed group or gang: Specific groups are coded when this information is available, and the involvement of the actor can be confirmed with independent sources. If the actor cannot be confirmed, the actor coded by default is Unidentified Armed Group or Unidentified Gang, and the different accounts of the event are specified in the Notes column.
- Civilians: Coded when the targets are clearly identified as civilians who are unaffiliated with any organized criminal or drug trafficking network.
