Latin America and the Caribbean Overview: April 2026
Demonstrations surged in Cuba and Venezuela, and Ecuadorian authorities stepped up operations against armed groups as tensions with Colombia increased.
Staff
Tiziano Breda
Senior Analyst, Latin America & the Caribbean
Tiziano Breda is a Latin America & the Caribbean Senior Analyst at ACLED and has been with the organization since January 2024. In this role, he contributes to the analysis of conflict, demonstration, and political violence patterns in Latin America. Prior to joining ACLED, he spent over seven years carrying out research on Latin American politics and security for the International Crisis Group and IAI, five of which living in Colombia and Guatemala. Tiziano holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the University of Padua and a Master’s Degree in International Relations from the University of Bolonia, Campus Forlì, enriched by conflict resolution studies at the Johns Hopkins University (SAIS) and the Universidad Nacional de Colombia.
Spoken languages: Italian, English and Spanish Timezone: Central European Time - CET
Content by this author
Iran may be a turning point for US regime change objectives in Latin America
Operation Epic Fury may divert US resources from the Caribbean, limit domestic appetite for further campaigns, and alter the political calculus for Cuba and Venezuela.
Tiziano Breda on Colombia’s legislative elections
ACLED’s Senior Analyst for Latin America comments on the risks marking Colombia’s polls.
Latin America and the Caribbean Overview: March 2026
The killing of CJNG leader El Mencho set off violence in Mexico, and armed group activity in Colombia could lead to violence around elections.
Tiziano Breda on the forceful capture of Venezuelan politician hours after release from jail
ACLED’s Latin America Senior Analyst Tiziano Breda comments on the reported abduction of a key opposition figure and the risks of renewed repression in Venezuela.
Latin America and the Caribbean Overview: February 2026
US-Venezuela relations thaw after the capture of Maduro, clashes between cartels led to a spike in criminal violence in Mexico, and Guatemala imposed a state of emergency.
Latin America and the Caribbean Overview: January 2026
The ELN in Colombia reacted to Trump’s threats with an armed strike, the turf war intensified between rival gangs in Ecuador’s Machala prison, and violence escalated in Sinaloa, Mexico.
Q&A: How stable is post-Maduro Venezuela?
Interim President Delcy Rodríguez faces risks of further US actions, social unrest from a galvanized opposition movement, internal power struggles, and resistance from armed groups not under government control.
Past events
Webinar | Violence, militarization, and organized crime: Ecuador’s challenges in 2026
Watch the recoded discussion on Ecuador’s security dynamics and situate the country’s crisis within broader regional dynamics, including the influence of neighboring countries and external actors — notably the United States — in shaping security policies and outcomes.
Webinar | How US intervention in Venezuela may shape conflict in Latin America and the Caribbean
Watch the recorded conversation with regional experts as they unpack the implications of US actions and what this means for conflict dynamics across the region. This webinar is available in Spanish and English.
Webinar | Gang violence in Ecuador: Navigating new ACLED data amid a wave of criminal activity
Watch the recorded webinar for a deep dive on the new data with Senior Methodology Officer, Rose Davies, the findings of our analysis with Tiziano Breda, expert insights from the Director of the Ecuadorian Observatory of Organized Crime, Renato Rivera, and moderated by ACLED Senior Analyst for Latin America & the Caribbean, Sandra Pellegrini.
