IANSA Regions: South America

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Argentina
Brazil
Chile
Colombia
Paraguay
Peru
Uruguay
Venezuela


South America
	Gun violence in South America has risen sharply following internal armed struggles and the emergence of drug trafficking in the late 1970s and 80s. Today, it is one of the most dramatic threats to public safety in the region, thwarting development efforts and seriously undermining democratic reforms and the implementation of basic human rights. While Colombia is the only country engaged in a declared conflict, the distinction between war and peace is blurred elsewhere on the continent. Socio-economic inequalities, corruption and brutality among security forces, and the easy availability of small arms and light weapons have set the stage for some of the worst rates of violent crime and murder in the world, especially in large cities. A range of problems associated with small arms proliferation and misuse are evident in South America. Production thrives in countries like Brazil and Argentina.
Lax firearms regulations in other states, particularly Bolivia and Paraguay, coupled with weak border controls and continued failure to implement existing legal instruments, stimulate illicit trafficking. Illegal weapons are widely used in criminal activities, but circulate at all levels of society. Moreover, as public security continues to deteriorate, demand for these weapons seems to be on the rise. The quality of existing information on the arms trade in most South American countries is poor and not transparent, making civil society cooperation in developing public safety programs more difficult. Despite having serious implications for human safety in the region, the issue of small arms and light weapons are relatively new on the political agendas. However, promising initiatives have emerged at both the subregional and national levels—including campaigns to reduce demand for firearms, advocacy efforts to tighten up gun laws, and research focusing on topics such as gender, victimisation, stockpile controls and routes of illicit trafficking—most notably in the Southern Cone region. In June of 2001, organisations from the MERCOSUR countries—Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay—established a network for firearms control and developed a news and information website, www.desarme.org to facilitate communications on armed violence and human security issues. A regional network, ARIANSA, has also been set up by civil society organisations in the Andean region, including Peru, Colombia, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Venezuela. Gun destructions since the UN Conference on Illicit Trafficking in Small Arms and Light Weapons in 2001 have been carried out in Brazil, Chile, Argentina and Peru. IANSA participants in South America are working to: Harmonise gun laws; Raise awareness on the risks associated with firearms use and possession; Build research and advocacy capacity around small arms issues; Promote public gun destructions; and Monitor the flow of weapons transfers and push for tracing. Links www.ComunidadSegura Small Arms Survey: Americas Desarme.org (no longer active) Ariansa OAS Firearms Convention (CIFTA) Argentina: Red Argentina para el Desarme Asociación para Políticas Públicas (APP) Instituto de estudios comparados en ciencias penales y sociales (INECIP) Fundación Lebensohn Red Solidária FLACSO Argentina Brazil: Review of the Brazilian Firearms Handover Campaign Movimento Paz pela Paz e a Não Violencia Sou da Paz Viva Rio Chile: Centro de Estudios y Planificación Local - GEOPLAN Servicio Paz y Justicia - SERPAJ Isis Internacional Colombia: American Friends Service Committee - Afsc (Comité Andino De Servicios) Fundación Gamma Idea – Fungamma Peru: Amnesty International (Seccion Perú) Uruguay: ALUDEC Mujer Ahora Venezuela Red de apoyo por la justicia y la paz (RAPJP) Regional Information: International Alert March 2003: Small Arms Control in Latin America Control de las Armas Pequeñas en América Latina Boletín del Observatorio Internacional por la Paz