Regional Overview: Latin America & the Caribbean | February 2024

Brazil: ​​Police operations in São Paulo raise concerns over security forces’ abuses

The killing of military police officer Marcelo Augusto da Silva on 26 January in Santos municipality, São Paulo, prompted authorities to launch a new phase of Operation Shield in São Paulo state. The operation and the violent retaliation of criminal groups, including the First Capital Command (PCC), led to the tripling of armed clashes between security forces and gangs in February compared to the month prior. Clashes saw the killing of at least 39 people and the arrest of over 700 suspected gang members.¹ Compared to the first phase of the operation launched in July 2023, which resulted in at least 28 reported fatalities and raised criticism over police abuses, ACLED data suggest the second phase was even deadlier. On 26 February, the São Paulo Police Ombudsman’s Office, alongside civil society organizations, published a report denouncing a series of abuses committed by military police between 7 and 9 February, including home invasions and at least eight extrajudicial executions, during the operation.² The clashes come as the PCC faces an internal schism triggered by a dispute between two of its leaders.³ In February, intra-group clashes resulted in the killing of at least six PCC members, including high-level members in the states of Piauí and São Paulo.⁴

Colombia: Peace talks advance amid sustained difficulties

Peace talks between the government and rebel groups proceeded with hiccups, but contributed to an overall reduction in clashes with security forces, despite ongoing hostilities with armed groups not engaged in talks, such as the Gulf Clan. Even though the government and the National Liberation Army (ELN) negotiated a six-month extension of the national bilateral ceasefire on 6 February, the ELN announced a ‘freezing’ of the talks on 20 February. The ELN accused the government, armed forces, and police of violating their agreements, before eventually agreeing to restart talks on 26 February.⁵ The government also announced on 9 February that peace talks with the Second Marquetalia dissident group of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), which had been suspended in November 2023, would resume. Despite the interruption in the talks, ACLED records a sustained decrease in clashes between security forces and rebel groups since September 2023. The decrease coincides with the first six-month ceasefire with the ELN that began in August 2023 and the three-month agreement with the FARC Central General Staff that began in October 2023 and was renewed for six months in January 2024. 

Meanwhile, the government said on 20 February that it would resume aerial bombings against the Gulf Clan. The decision follows a spike in battles between the latter and security forces in January and, more recently, a clash on 16 February in Segovia, Antioquia, that resulted in the killing of four soldiers, a Gulf Clan member, and the displacement of hundreds of people. The discontinuity of talks and remaining tensions with armed groups display the fragilities of the Petro administration’s plans to negotiate an end to the country’s multifaceted armed conflict.

El Salvador: ​​President Bukele is re-elected as human rights concerns remain

On 4 February, President Nayib Bukele was re-elected for a second term with around 85% of the votes, while his party, New Ideas, won 54 of the 60 seats in Congress.⁶ Bukele’s popularity has been boosted by achievements in the security realm. Since 2022, ACLED records a year-on-year decrease in gang violence following the adoption of a state of exception in March 2022. The measure enhanced the military’s participation in public safety operations, extended pretrial detention, and restricted certain civil liberties. 

Local and international organizations have denounced human rights violations and arbitrary arrests committed during the state of exception. The government claims to have arrested more than 74,000 suspected gang members, but it has also acknowledged that it released at least 7,000 people due to a lack of evidence.⁷ During this period, 236 people have died in custody, according to Socorro Jurídico Humanitario, an organization that monitors arbitrary detentions.⁸ Local organizations also claim that the state of exception has deterred social mobilization as people fear being detained by state forces.⁹ Despite a significant decline in the number of demonstrations since 2022, ACLED records several protest rallies with demonstrators calling for justice and the release of those arbitrarily detained during the state of exception.

Haiti: Gangs step up violent attacks against state institutions amid calls for Henry’s resignation

Demonstrations calling for the resignation of acting Prime Minister Ariel Henry continued into February, intensifying between 5 and 7 February. Opposition leaders and supporters of rebel leader Guy Philippe demanded that Henry leave the government by 7 February, after the interim government failed to organize elections by the deadline established in the December 2022 accords.¹⁰ At least four rioters were killed in clashes with police officers in separate events across the country, while members of the Security Brigade for Protected Areas (B-SAP) attacked government buildings and clashed with police forces in Nord-Est, Centre, Nippes, and Ouest departments. Amid the unrest, Henry met with members of the Caribbean Community in Guyana and on 28 February announced his commitment to hold elections by August 2025.¹¹ 

Following this announcement, gangs launched a series of attacks against police stations, airports, and government buildings between 28 and 29 February in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area, reportedly leaving at least nine dead, including five police officers. The leader of the G-9 gang alliance claimed responsibility for these actions, saying that the Viv Ansanm (Live Together) movement — a volatile coalition between gang alliances G-9 and G-Pèp created in 2023 — will continue to carry out similar attacks to pressure Henry to leave office.¹² The string of violence continued into March, prompting the government to issue a 72-hour state of emergency on 3 March.

Mexico: Targeted attacks against politicians and government officials increase ahead of elections

As pre-campaigns for the June 2024 local elections kicked off in several states in January, targeted attacks against politicians, candidates, civil servants, and former and current government officials increased. Attacks targeting politicians more than doubled in February compared to January. ACLED records at least 34 events last month, over a third of which were in Guerrero and Michoacán states. In Michoacán, two politicians who had expressed their intention to run for mayor of the Maravatío municipality were killed in separate attacks. Meanwhile, in Guerrero, a candidate running for mayor was attacked and at least four current and former civil servants were killed in separate attacks. While the perpetrators remain unknown, security experts suggest that these attacks are tied to criminal groups aiming to influence the electoral process.¹³

The heightened levels of targeted violence against political figures in Guerrero come amid a general increase in violence in the state driven by fighting between criminal groups to control extortion rackets on merchants and transport drivers in Chilpancingo, as well as for access to gold mines in rural areas.¹⁴ Following the surge in criminal violence, including a deadly clash resulting in the death of at least 16 armed men in San Miguel Totolapan, some Catholic church representatives facilitated truces between Los Tlacos and Los Ardillos on 13 February and between Los Tlacos and La Familia Michoacana on 22 February.

Venezuela: Social activist is detained under conspiracy allegations amid rising government crackdown on opposition

President Nicolás Maduro’s government continued its crackdown on opponents in the first months of 2024. In January, the Supreme Court of Justice ratified a 2021 decision by the Comptroller General’s Office that disqualified the opposition presidential candidate María Corina Machado from running in the 2024 presidential election. The Attorney General’s office also ordered the arrest of over 30 political opponents charged with plotting to assassinate Maduro.¹⁵ On 9 February, authorities arrested Rocío San Miguel, a human rights activist and president of the Control Ciudadano, an NGO that monitors human rights, security issues, and military forces on similar charges.¹⁶ The arrest led to several protests demanding the release of Rocío and other political prisoners,¹⁷ while more than 200 NGOs decried the detention.¹⁸ The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights expressed deep concerns about the arrest, prompting the government to claim the agency had become a tool for “coup-plotters and terrorists.”¹⁹ On 14 February, the government further ordered the agency to halt its operations, giving its 13 staff members 72 hours to leave the country.