The Organization of American States (OAS) was officially established in 1948, but it is technically considered the world’s oldest regional organization because the first ever conference was held in the United States in 1889. Its mission is to promote peace and justice among its members, while upholding the sovereignty and independence of each nation. 

Many of the topics discussed in OAS revolve around four main pillars of discussion to serve its mandate: democracy, human rights, security, and development. In particular, the organization respects the principle of nonintervention, and it’s a rule that is deeply entrenched in the OAS charter. Unless a country specifically requests for assistance, no other state can intervene in the internal affairs of another. 

OAS consists of member states in North America, Central America, and South America that all follow a General Assembly procedure very similar to the United Nations. Despite differences in political views and governmental systems, OAS is committed to addressing regional challenges and fostering stability within the Western hemisphere. 

Gang violence and criminal activities have significantly surged in the Americas, affecting countries from Cuba and Haiti all the way to Canada and the United States. In some countries, gangs have become so powerful and influential that they have even threatened to dethrone the government, as seen in Haiti. Thousands of civilians have fled their home countries to escape the gang violence amid fear of their safety. 

Drugs and weapons trafficking are one of the many factors responsible for increasing gang-related activities. Easy access to firearms means more threats to infrastructure and increased risk of civilians targeted by gangs. Additionally, it is reported that humanitarian aid to areas affected by gang violence is severely underfunded, and even when aid reaches those regions, gangs demand ransom for allowing aid to pass through or are likely to keep the aid for themselves. 

Many countries have opted for a range of stances, which may include compromising with gangs on specific provisions to intense crackdowns by security forces. Some nations have tried to come up with crime prevention strategies, but these have had limited success in most cases, especially when hundreds and thousands of people are all fearing the repercussions of going against powerful gangs. Stricter gun control is also another approach that many nations have considered, but some fear this legislation alone makes too little of an impact. 

Cooperation with regional members is crucial to addressing this topic, given that certain nations are safe havens for gangs that can spread to neighboring countries as well. This is especially the case with smuggling, and weapons manufactured in the US have ended up in the hands of gangs in the Americas. Given that the organization heavily prioritizes national sovereignty first, a balanced approach is needed to preserve the autonomy of member states and also simultaneously address the conflict through mutual partnership.

What specific steps can member states take to address the root causes of the surge in gang violence? 

Given that the influence of gangs in some countries is very powerful politically, to what extent should governments compromise with gangs, and what are the aftermath effects of doing so? 

Because civilians are also being targeted by gangs and migrating out of the countries, how can nations ensure that humanitarian aid is reaching civilians safely? 

How can countries work towards enhancing economic development amid the high number of economic workers leaving the country due to gang violence? 

2022 Homicide rates in Americas

Humanitarian Crisis due to gang violence in Haiti

Prevention Strategies to Gang violence

Almost all the nations in the Americas have some form of democratic element in their governance. Countries like Canada and the United States are fully democratic in their governmental system, while countries like Cuba, Venezuela, and Haiti are leaning more towards an authoritarian type of rule. However, among all nations, serious questions have been raised on the stability and quality of democracy and to what extent it actually represents the voices of the people.

The most important aspect that comes to mind is electoral fraud caused by domestic and/or foreign powers. This can include a variety of factors, such as bribery ; for instance, about 1 in 4 citizens in Latin America have been offered bribes to vote in elections. Voters are also threatened with retaliation if they don’t vote in favour of a specific candidate, and as such, the overarching purpose of democracy is being neglected when citizens vote because of fear and not because of their own individual opinions. 

Misinformation has also become quite dangerous in the Americas to influence election outcomes. With easy access to social media, it is not all surprising that it is a commonly used political tactic to misguide voters for political gain in an unfair manner. Likewise, individual rights and freedoms have emerged as a major topic of discussion, given that nations vary in the number of restrictions that they impose on freedoms. Latin American countries such as Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela have witnessed alarming rates of human rights challenges, most notably during protests and crackdowns. 

Undoubtedly, there is a lot to choose from when it comes to deciding what factors to change in order to preserve democracy. It could be lack of individual freedoms, misinformation, bribery, or anything else. Therefore, OAS nations must come together and agree on what specific elements of democracy they wish to address urgently. One thing is certain - democracy is being threatened, from Canada all the way to Chile.

To what extent should individual rights and freedoms be adopted? In other words, where is the boundary in terms of what is permitted and what is not? 

How can countries mitigate the influence of domestic/foreign powers interfering in democratic systems and elections? 

What role can OAS play in promoting democratic principles while also not infringing too deeply on a nation’s sovereignty?

Democracy Decline in Central America

European Parliament Report on Failing Democracy in Latin America

Rights and Freedoms in Latin America