Latin American and Caribbean Public Security Ministers Convene in Mexico City
Public Security Ministers representing 34 Latin American and Caribbean countries are meeting in Mexico City for the First Meeting of Ministers Responsible for Public Security in the Americas, a forum convened by the Organization of American States (OAS) to consider joint strategies to tackle "the scourge of crime and violence worldwide." Upon opening the two-day meeting, OAS Secretary General, José Miguel Insulza, said that insecurity in Latin America "is an epidemic or a plague that kills more people than AIDS." The goal of the meeting is to develop an international strategy against organized crime called, an "Agreement for Public Security in the Americas," that will focus on narcotrafficking and kidnapping in addition to common crimes and violence. Below you will find links to various articles about the meeting: In Mexico, OAS' Insulza calls for regular meeting of security ministers and joint action to tackle transnational crime, OAS Press Release (in English) OAS: Crime is an "epidemic" worse than AIDS, El Nuevo Diario (in Spanish). Calderón Convenes a Common Front Against Crime before the OAS, El Universal (in Spanish). The OAS believes insecurity in Latin America is worse than any economic crisis, Hoy (in Spanish)