United Nations, World, Iraq, Colombia, Afghanistan
Civilians Alone 'Lose' 650,000 Guns Each Year, Says Study Released at UN
Reuters
14 July 2008
UNITED NATIONS -- Every year hundreds of thousands of small arms go missing and many wind up in the hands of insurgents in countries like Iraq, Colombia and Afghanistan, a new survey published on Monday said. The annual report issued by the Geneva-based Small Arms Survey said that as many as 650,000 civilian-owned weapons go missing. This figure excludes the considerable amount of weapons that are diverted -- usually meaning stolen... ( gunpolicy.org )
Colombia, Venezuela
Venezuelan Sergeant Said Trafficking Ammunition to Colombia's FARC
Los Angeles Times
8 June 2008
BOGOTA, Colombia -- A Venezuelan national guard sergeant will face "the full weight of national law" after being arrested in a remote border area, allegedly on his way to deliver 40,000 rounds of ammunition to Colombia's largest rebel group, this country's foreign minister said Saturday. Sgt. Manuel Agudo Escalona, was arrested Friday with another Venezuelan and two Colombians in the eastern jungle state of Vichada with ammunition... ( gunpolicy.org )
Jamaica, Brazil
Brazil Youth, Gun Focus May Hold Answer to Jamaica's Gun Crime Problem
Jamaica Gleaner
7 May 2008
A multidimensional strategy including a strong emphasis on improved police-community relations has been credited for Brazil's success in curbing crime in its second largest city. The anti-crime push -- which is also hinged on rehabilitating troubled youths and seizing guns from the streets -- has been critical to Cesar Rubem battling lawlessness in his native Rio de Janeiro. "Our work has tried to look at these three components... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Colombia
Global Gun Runner Bout 'Conspired to Kill Americans,' Says US Indictment
Associated Press
6 May 2008
NEW YORK -- Prosecutors announced an indictment Tuesday against a reputed Russian arms smuggler who they say tried to sell weapons to a U.S.-designated terrorist organization with the goal of killing Americans. The indictment charges Viktor Bout with four terrorism offenses, including conspiring to kill Americans, conspiring to kill U.S. officers or employees, conspiring to provide material support to terrorists and conspiring to... ( gunpolicy.org )
World, United States, France, Canada, Germany, Angola, Thailand, Australia, Colombia, South Africa, Turkey, Pakistan, Russia, Brazil, United Kingdom, India, China
Guns Around the World: Civilian Firearms per 100 People in 16 Nations
Economist
30 April 2008
An estimated 875m small arms are in circulation worldwide: one for every seven people on the planet. Nearly three-quarters of these are owned by civilians. And about 80% of those guns in civilian hands are found in just 30 countries, according to the Small Arms Survey, a research group. Although America accounts for 40% of firearms in civilian ownership, people put them to more deadly use elsewhere. The gun murder rate in Colombia... ( gunpolicy.org )
Brazil
Protestors Place 2,000 Crosses for Victims of Gun Violence in Rio de Janeiro
IndiaTimes / Reuters
27 April 2008
On Saturday a group called "Peace for Rio" placed 2,000 crosses along one of Rio's main roads to commemorate the death of each person to have been gunned down in the city in 2008 thus far. Some 17 people are killed every day in Rio. Gun violence is the leading cause of death. "It is a real tragedy this massacre of human lives. Behind each of these crosses there is a family tragedy, those who are living and today are inconsolable... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Caribbean, Central America, South America
Guns and Gun Running: Small Arms Trade in Latin America - NACLA Report
NACLA Report on the Americas Vol. 41, No. 2
19 March 2008
Small arms and gun violence present the most dramatic threat to public safety in Latin America and the Caribbean. After decades of uncontrolled proliferation, at least 45 million to 80 million small arms and light weapons -- that is, weapons operated by an individual or small group, including handguns, assault rifles, grenades, grenade launchers, and even man portable surface to air missiles -- are circulating throughout the region. (1)... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Caribbean, Central America, South America
Guns and Gun Running: Small Arms Trade in the Americas - NACLA Report
NACLA Report on the Americas Vol. 41, No. 2, Editorial
19 March 2008
Gun violence has plagued Latin America since the early days of the colonial era. In June, archaeologists excavating an old Inca cemetery near Lima found a skull marred by a pair of small, round holes -- evidence of the oldest gunshot victim in the Americas yet discovered. The musket, in this case likely fired during the final battle for the Incan empire in 1536, was brought over by the Spaniards, and in a sense, the invasion of gun technology... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Caribbean, Central America, South America
US Senate Stalls Hemispheric Arms Control in the Americas - NACLA Report
NACLA Report on the Americas Vol. 41, No. 2
19 March 2008
In 1997, President Bill Clinton, standing beside Mexican president Ernesto Zedillo in the Organization of American States' flag-bedecked Hall of the Americas, declared: "Gun trafficking is an issue of national security for our governments, and a matter of neighborhood security for all of us in the Americas." The presidents had joined together to sign an OAS treaty known as the Firearms Convention, or by its Spanish initials as CIFTA, designed... ( gunpolicy.org )
Thailand, United States, Colombia, World
Gun Runner Viktor Bout Aided US in Iraq, Plus African Warlords, Taliban et al
Los Angeles Times
7 March 2008
WASHINGTON -- The long hunt for a man regarded as one of the world's most notorious arms dealers climaxed Thursday in Bangkok, Thailand, where an eight-month sting operation by a team of U.S. agents led to the capture and arrest of Russian businessman Viktor Bout during an alleged attempt to supply Colombian rebels with weapons and explosives. Bout was taken into custody by Thai police at a luxury hotel in Bangkok, where, U.S. officials... ( gunpolicy.org )
Thailand, United States, Colombia, World
If Viktor Bout Did Not Exist, a Thriller Writer Would Have Invented Him
Guardian (UK)
7 March 2008
BANGKOK -- If Viktor Bout did not exist, a thriller writer would have invented him. A former Russian lieutenant, he became one of the world's biggest arms dealers, flying his ancient Soviet planes into battlefields from Liberia to Afghanistan. His clients have included the Taliban and the US government, African warlords and the UN. He has as many aliases as an AK-47 has rounds, and has acquired the nicknames Merchant of Death and... ( gunpolicy.org )
Thailand, United States, Colombia, World
Russian Arms Dealer Arrested, Accused of Gun Running in Africa, Mideast
Washington Post
7 March 2008
Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout was usually a careful man, dealing with customers through intermediaries and ordering subordinates to throw away cellphones, receipts and anything else that could be traced. After two buyers claiming to be Colombian guerrillas approached him last November, Bout tried to double-check their identities using photographs of known leaders of the group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Russia, Thailand, Colombia, World
US Charges Notorious Russian Arms Dealer With Gun Running to Colombia
New York Times
7 March 2008
WASHINGTON -- A Russian businessman regarded by the United States as one of the world's most notorious arms dealers was arrested in Thailand on Thursday as part of an American-led sting operation. He was promptly charged in the United States with conspiracy for trying to smuggle missiles and rocket launchers to rebels in Colombia. The businessman, Viktor Bout, 41, is suspected of supplying weapons to the Taliban and Al Qaeda and... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Thailand, Colombia, World
'Lord of War' Gun Runner Viktor Bout Arrested in Thailand on US Charges
Times (UK) / Reuters
6 March 2008
A Russian arms dealer thought to have inspired the lead character in the blockbuster film Lord of War was arrested in Bangkok today. Viktor Bout, 41, was detained while allegedly attempting to buy weapons for Colombian rebels. Dubbed "the merchant of death", he has been accused of breaking UN embargoes since the early 1990s by selling arms to conflict-torn regions in Africa and around the world. Thai police said... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Russia, Thailand, Colombia, World
'Most-wanted' Global Gun Runner Arrested in Thailand: US Wants Viktor Bout
CNN
6 March 2008
NEW YORK -- For years, Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout made millions of dollars delivering weapons and ammunition to warlords and militants, officials say. On Thursday, Bout and his associate, Andrew Smulian, were arrested in Thailand after a series of events that officials said could have come straight out of a spy novel. The men's capture involved law enforcement agencies from at least five countries, including two undercover... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Russia, Thailand, Colombia, World
Russian Gun Runner Dubbed 'Merchant of Death' Arrested in Bangkok Sting
Associated Press
6 March 2008
BANGKOK, Thailand -- A suspected Russian arms dealer dubbed the "Merchant of Death" was arrested Thursday in Bangkok on allegations that he conspired to supply Colombian rebels with arms and explosives, Thai police said. Police Lt. Gen. Pongpat Chayapan said Viktor Bout was arrested in a hotel on a warrant from a Thai court following a monthlong manhunt. The warrant came out of an earlier one issued by the U.S. Drug Enforcement... ( gunpolicy.org )
Thailand, United States, Colombia, World
Russia, US May Compete to Extradite 'Merchant of Death' Viktor Bout
Los Angeles Times
6 March 2008
WASHINGTON -- The long hunt for the world's most notorious arms dealer climaxed today in Bangkok, where Thai authorities arrested Russian businessman Viktor Bout on charges of supplying Colombian rebels with weapons and explosives, federal officials confirmed. Bout, whose global air transport empire armed rebels in Africa and the Taliban in Afghanistan and later aided U.S. military supply efforts in Iraq, was captured as part of... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Russia, Thailand, Colombia, World
Thais Arrest 'Merchant of Death' Russian Gun Runner, US Feds Lay Charges
Reuters
6 March 2008
BANGKOK/NEW YORK -- Viktor Bout, an international arms dealer dubbed the "Merchant of Death," was arrested in Thailand and charged in New York on Thursday with trying to sell weapons to Colombian rebels, officials said. Bout, the target of U.S. sanctions, was charged with conspiring to sell millions of dollars worth of weapons to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, U.S. Attorney Michael Garcia said in New York.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Thailand, World, Colombia
US Charges Arms Dealer Viktor Bout with Gun Running to Terrorists - DOJ
US Department of Justice, Media release
6 March 2008
Michael J. Garcia, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Michele M. Leonhart, the Acting Administrator of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration ("DEA"), announced today the unsealing of charges against Viktor Bout, a/k/a "Boris," a/k/a "Victor Anatoliyevich Bout," a/k/a "Victor But," a/k/a "Viktor Budd," a/k/a "Viktor Butt," a/k/a "Viktor Bulakin," a/k/a "Vadim Markovich Aminov," an international... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Thailand, Colombia, World
Viktor Bout Arrested in Thailand, Russia May Lift Him to Safety - Doug Farah
douglasfarah.com, Web Page
6 March 2008
Viktor Bout, the subject of my book with Steve Braun has been arrested in Thailand on charges of supplying weapons to the FARC in Colombia. It is a stunning blow to the world's "Merchant of Death," who has been responsible for fanning wars across Africa, as well as aiding and abetting the Taliban, and thus, indirectly, al Qaeda. Of course, this may finally stop the U.S. from carrying on dealing with him, despite his being... ( gunpolicy.org )
Guyana, Trinidad & Tobago, Caribbean, Brazil, Argentina
Women's Groups Demand to Know Where Caribbean Gangs Get Their Guns
Stabroek News (Guyana)
5 March 2008
A two-day meeting for parliamentarians and NGOs to review the impact and "responses to small arms diffusion and violence in the Caribbean" is set for Trinidad today and a women's group is asking where the gangs are getting guns and ammo for killings like those at Lusignan and Bartica . According to a press release the Women's Institute for Alternative Development (WINAD) said the meeting hopes to explore a Caricom instrument to... ( gunpolicy.org )
Brazil
Brazil Gun Deaths Outpaced Births: Gun Buyback Saw 8% Homicide Drop
ISN Security Watch (Switzerland), Web Page
28 February 2008
Results from a recently released study that measured population growth and homicides in Brazil between 1996 and 2006 revealed that homicides dropped by eight percent between 2003 and 2006, a time period that overlaps with a nationwide gun buy-back program during which nearly 500,000 firearms were removed from circulation. Gun buy-back programs have met with mixed success in Latin America, but according to the study, authored by... ( gunpolicy.org )
Guyana
Network Calls for Effective Gun Control, Fewer Loose Firearms in Guyana
Stabroek News (Guyana)
26 February 2008
The Guyana Peace Builders Network (PBN) in condemning the slayings at Bartica is appealing to policymakers to consider an effective gun control policy and advance measures to stymie the access to arms. Referring to the slayings as a mirroring of the recent killings at Lusignan, the group said that unless the perpetrators -- the shooters and the highly resourced organizers -- of the killings are apprehended and processed within the... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico, South America, Central America
80 Million Civilian Guns in Latin America, Gun Control 'Urgent Problem' - OAS
Xinhua
25 February 2008
MEXICO CITY -- Individuals own 80 million guns in Latin America, and the region sees 90,000 armed attacks a year, according to an Organization of American States (OAS) document published in Mexico's media on Monday. Speaking last week during an official visit to Mexico, the OAS secretary general, Jose Miguel Insulza, said that guns in private hands represent a major and growing security risk. He said that controlling the flow of... ( gunpolicy.org )
Trinidad & Tobago, Guyana
To Fight Gun Violence in Guyana, Trinidad Provides More Guns
Agence France Presse
21 February 2008
GEORGETOWN, Guyana -- Trinidad and Tobago is to provide "specialized weapons" and a helicopter to help Guyana combat a spate of violent mass-killings, Guyana's home affairs minister said Wednesday. "The government of Guyana has been making every effort to procure the said weapons from other sources but without success," said the minister, Clement Rohee. In the latest major violent incident in the South American country,... ( gunpolicy.org )
Peru, United Nations
Peru's Gun Control Agency, UN Make Plans to Incinerate 35,000 Guns
Living in Peru (Lima), Web Page
15 January 2008
Abiding by international peace and disarmament policies, the Peruvian General Directorate for the Control of Security Services, Guns, Ammunitions and Explosives for Civil Use (DICSCAMEC) is to incinerate 35,240 firearms within the next several months. Since DICSCAMEC depends on Peru's Ministry of the Interior, it is waiting for the Ministry to define the date on which the firearms will be destroyed, said the general director of... ( gunpolicy.org )
Guyana
Illegal Trafficking in Guns, Ammunition Flourishes in Guyana
Stabroek News (Guyana)
13 January 2008
Anyone with the right connections and cash can buy or rent a gun in Guyana, to be used in way they choose. And, in fact, if the renter knows the gun is to be used to commit an armed robbery, he may demand a share of the booty as rental. Access to illegal weapons across the country, according to several sources this newspaper spoke to during last week, is not very difficult. This is perhaps the major reason why six years... ( gunpolicy.org )
Paraguay, Brazil
Paraguayan Military Men Arrested for Ammunition Theft, Gunrunning to Brazil
LatinNews Daily, Web Page
9 January 2008
The involvement of high-ranking Paraguayan military officers in the clandestine supply of arms to criminal gangs in Brazil appears to have been confirmed with the arrest of a colonel and a major in a case involving the theft of army munitions and their sale on the black market in Ciudad del Este, in the notorious Triple Border area. On 24 December an audit of the arsenal of the 3rd infantry division just outside Ciudad del Este... ( gunpolicy.org )
Brazil
Celebratory Gunfire Kills Brazilians, Stray Bullets Fly in Rio's New Year Bash
International Herald Tribune / AP
1 January 2008
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil -- One man was killed and five people were wounded by gunfire at a New Year's bash that drew some 2 million people to Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana Beach, the government's official news agency said Tuesday. A 29-year-old man died of a gunshot wound in the stomach, and a 63-year-old woman shot in the back and a 24-year-old man shot in the head were hospitalized in critical condition, the official Agencia Brasil... ( gunpolicy.org )
Argentina
Argentina Destroys 70,000 Guns Under Buyback, Civilian Disarmament Plan
Xinhua
27 December 2007
BUENOS AIRES -- The Argentine government has destroyed 70,000 guns collected from civilians as part of the National Voluntary Gun Handover Plan, local media reported Wednesday. Andres Meiszner, director of the National Arms Register with the justice ministry, said the plan offered up to 150 U.S. dollars per gun in reward and guaranteed the anonymity for those who handed over the guns, starting from July 10. He said that... ( gunpolicy.org )
Brazil
Santa Retreats: Festive Helicopter Takes Bullet Holes, Visiting Kids in Rio
Associated Press
19 December 2007
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil -- Not even Santa is safe in Rio de Janeiro. A helicopter carrying a Santa Claus to distribute gifts at a Christmas party came under fire when it flew over a Rio shantytown, authorities said Wednesday. The chopper was hit by two rifle shots Sunday, but no one was injured and the aircraft returned safely to its base, police inspector Aldari Vianna said by telephone. Gang members apparently... ( gunpolicy.org )
Venezuela, South America
Guns for Venezuela's Civilians Are 'Normal Arsenal Updating, No Arms Race'
MercoPress (Uruguay)
17 December 2007
The recent surge in military expenditure particularly Chile and Venezuela has led to fears that South America might be involved in an arms race. However most experts feel that in spite of existing regional differences what is going on is a modernization process of the Armed Forces arsenals which are rapidly becoming obsolete. Chile leads with annual expenditure to the tune of 3 billion US dollars funded mainly by the Copper bill,... ( gunpolicy.org )
Colombia
18,000 AK-47s, Other Guns, Ammunition Destroyed in Colombia [Espanol]
El Pais (Espana)
15 December 2007
[Translated summary: 18,000 guns and 2.7 million rounds of ammunition have been melted down in Colombia. A peace sculpture will be created from the residue]. BOGOTA -- Colombia vivió ayer un gran día de reconciliación. La fundición de más de 18.000 armas entregadas tras el proceso de desmovilización de las Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia (AUC) fue la guinda de un proceso de paz que terminó el año pasado. La cita fue en la... ( gunpolicy.org )
Venezuela, Uruguay, Iran, United Nations
Uruguay, Venezuela 'Caught' Busting UN Sanctions, Buying Iranian Ammo
Washington Times
12 October 2007
SANTA CRUZ, Bolivia -- Uruguayan parliamentary investigators said they blocked an attempt by their government to purchase arms from Iran, using a diversion through Venezuela to try to evade U.N. sanctions on the Tehran government. Some 15,000 rounds of Iranian-made 5.56 mm ammunition were loaded onto a Uruguayan navy ship in Venezuela before the attempt was discovered, said Javier Garcia of Uruguay's opposition National Party in... ( gunpolicy.org )
Chile
Chile to Tighten Gun Control Law, Owner Licensing, Sale of Ammunition
Xinhua
24 September 2007
Chile's Interior Minister Felipe Harboe on Sunday announced a new anti-crime package, aiming for strict supervision of illegal possession of guns. Harboe said the plan was a response to extreme violence seen in Santiago on Sept. 11, a national day of remembrance for the nation's 1973 coup. "We don't want an armed society in this country," he said. "What we saw on Sept. 11 is not the real Chile and it is not the Chile we... ( gunpolicy.org )
South Africa, Brazil
Brazilian Ammunition Manufacturer Pioneers Laser Marking on Each Round
Institute for Security Studies (Tshwane), Web Page
21 September 2007
If the recent reports of a South African Metro Police officer's dealing in ammunition from his vehicle are anything to go by the answer must be a resounding 'yes'. The case of the Metro Police officer has made it clear that current control mechanisms over ammunition in State armouries are ineffective. The measures did not prevent the corrupt official from selling ammunition to criminals. The seriousness of this is made worse given... ( gunpolicy.org )
Guyana, Brazil, Venezuela
Illegal Gun Smuggling 'Rampant' Across Porous Guyana-Brazil Frontier
Stabroek News (Guyana)
2 September 2007
Illegal trafficking in arms and ammunition is rampant across the border between Guyana and Brazil, with one speedboat operator at Lethem telling this newspaper on Friday that he frequently transported men with weapons stashed in suitcases via the many illegal crossings over the Takutu River. The speedboat operator also told this newspaper that criminals in Brazil and Guyana would often trade drugs for guns, with the Guyanese mostly... ( gunpolicy.org )
Colombia
Gun Control Petition Collects 1.5 Million Signatures in Colombia [Espanol]
El Tiempo (Latin America)
17 August 2007
[Translated summary: More than 1.5 million Colombians have signed a petition calling for tougher restrictions on civilian gun possession, due to the increasing number of accidental deaths involving guns kept at home. Last week a 12-year-old boy playing with a shotgun killed his 9-year-old cousin and severely wounded a baby. The petition demands that local governments be given the power to regulate the keeping of guns at home]. Con... ( gunpolicy.org )
Venezuela, Russia
Venezuela to Purchase Thousands of Russian Dragunov Sniper Rifles
New York Times
16 August 2007
MOSCOW -- A proposed contract between Russia and Venezuela that could transfer thousands of sniper rifles to Venezuela has raised concerns in the United States about the potential use or regional distribution of the weapons by the socialist-inspired government of President Hugo Chavez. The rifle in question is the latest variant of the Dragunov, a long-barreled, semi-automatic design with a telescopic sight. It is derived in part... ( gunpolicy.org )
Guyana, South America
Guyana Urges Intelligence Sharing to Curb South American Gun Smugglers
Stabroek News (Georgetown)
12 August 2007
Home Affairs Minister, Clement Rohee believes that strong inter-agency cooperation in intelligence sharing could help stem the tide of the illegal arms trade. And he maintained that the recent launching of the task force on the trade in illicit arms and drugs could put a dent in the illegal business. Speaking last Saturday at a press conference on the Crabwood Creek shooting, Acting Commissioner of Police Henry Greene told reporters... ( gunpolicy.org )
Russia, Venezuela
Russia to Build 2 Kalashnikov Assault Rifle, Ammo Factories in Venezuela
RIA Novosti (Russia)
6 August 2007
IZHEVSK, Urals -- Russia will build two factories for production of the famous Kalashnikov assault rifle and ammunition in Venezuela by 2010, a Russian arms manufacturer said Monday. The Urals-based Izhevsk Mechanical Plant (IMP) earlier fulfilled a contract to supply 100,000 AK-103 assault rifles to Venezuela, and signed a new contract licensing production of Kalashnikov rifles in the Latin American country. "We will begin... ( gunpolicy.org )
Argentina
Argentina Launches Voluntary Buyback of Firearms [Espanol]
La Nacion (Argentina), Editorial
26 July 2007
La posesión de armas de fuego por la población mayor de edad es objeto de particular preocupación para una ciudadanía consternada ante trágicos episodios de honda repercusión. Esos hechos demostraron una vez más que la tenencia de medios ofensivos y defensivos, como los aludidos, constituye un peligro latente que se convierte en real cuando obran la imprudencia, el descontrol o la súbita descarga agresiva. Para reducir esos riesgos,... ( gunpolicy.org )
Guyana
Guyana Criminals Use Assault Weapons, But Gun Crimes Down, Say Police
Caribbean Net News
26 July 2007
GEORGETOWN, Guyana -- Guyana has been able to keep gun-related crimes under control despite sporadic burst of criminal activities during the first half of the year, Acting Police Commissioner, Henry Greene said this week. So far, police have recovered 80 illegal firearms, 10 more than the entire 2006 period, while instituting charges against 63 persons. "There has been an increase in robbery with violence and aggravation. This tells... ( gunpolicy.org )
Guyana
Guyana Army Officers Charged with Leaking Assault Rifles to Local Gangs
Stabroek News (Georgetown)
25 July 2007
GEORGETOWN, Guyana -- On Monday the defence team continued cross-examination of the prosecution witnesses, the second of who was called to give evidence against Lieutenant Tony Ross, who is embroiled in the theft of the 30 AK-47 rifles and five pistols from the Guyana Defence Force last year. Ross, who was the commander of the Ordnance Corps, a unit responsible for the storage and distribution of weapons in the army, is the first... ( gunpolicy.org )
Bolivia, United States
US Ambassador Rejects Bolivian Demands to Investigate Bullets in Luggage
Boston Herald / AP
3 July 2007
LA PAZ, Bolivia -- The U.S. ambassador in Bolivia on Monday rejected as "unacceptable" Bolivian demands for further investigation of an American woman with embassy ties who brought 500 bullets into the Andean country. Ambassador Philip Goldberg met with Bolivia's foreign minister and afterward promised full cooperation in the case. But he bristled at suggestions by President Evo Morales and other officials that the U.S.... ( gunpolicy.org )
Argentina
Buenos Aires Shootings, Gun Law Changes Prompt Debate in Argentina
Buenos Aires Herald
1 July 2007
If there is one point over which the National Rifle Association in the United States and the maverick documentary-maker Michael Moore are essentially in agreement, it is over the NRA slogan: "Guns don't kill people; people kill people" -- at precisely a time when the government is launching a campaign to disarm the civilian population, various recent news items have brought this slogan and the issue of gun control to the fore. It... ( gunpolicy.org )
Brazil, United States
Gun Control Helped Sao Paulo, Brazil Halve its Murder Rate - US Study
KYW News Radio (Philadelphia)
25 June 2007
Criminologists in the US have been studying how one city in Brazil managed to halve its murder rate in seven years. Ted Goertzel, professor of sociology at Rutgers University-Camden, says the out-of-control murder rate in San Paolo, Brazil was cut in half in less than seven years by a nationwide firearms ban. He says the same thing has been thought of in the US, but it's the politics that differ: "They don't have the protection... ( gunpolicy.org )
Brazil
Stray Bullets Rain Down on Rio de Janeiro: 87 Innocents Hit in 3 Months
San Francisco Chronicle / AP
20 June 2007
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil -- The toll from stray bullets that rain down on Rio from the city's steep hillside slums as police and drug gangs battle with automatic weapons has grown sharply, with one innocent bystander killed or wounded every day. Businesses and schools in the line of fire have been shuttered. Thousands of children are staying home. Even air travel is affected -- domestic jet routes were diverted from Rio's downtown... ( gunpolicy.org )
Peru
Archaeologists Find Americas' 'First Gun Victim' - 500yr-old Inca Shot in Peru
San Francisco Chronicle / AP
19 June 2007
WASHINGTON -- The musket blast was sudden and deadly, the killing nearly 500 years ago of what may have been the first gunshot victim in the Western Hemisphere. "We didn't expect it. We saw this skull and saw the almost round hole and thought people must have been shooting around here recently," said Guillermo Cock, an archaeologist who found the remains near Lima, Peru. But he realized that the skull was ancient, and a... ( gunpolicy.org )
South America, Central America
Gun Homicide in Latin America Makes up 42% of World Total [Espanol]
Tiempos del Mundo (Latin America)
16 June 2007
[Translated summary: Feature on gun homicide and firearm violence in Latin America, and on CLAVE, the regional NGO gun control campaign]. Howard Ludwig tiene 11 meses y 68 centímetros de estatura. Todavía no ha completado sus primeros dientes, pero ya adquirió una licencia para portar armas. Las autoridades de Illinois, Estados Unidos, se la otorgaron después de que su padre hiciera el trámite por Internet y enviara los cinco... ( gunpolicy.org )
South America, Central America
Guns Give False Sense of Security, Says Latin American Group [Espanol]
Tiempos del Mundo (Latin America)
16 June 2007
[Translated summary: Julio César Torales, president of Amnesty International, Paraguay, speaks on behalf of CLAVE, the regional NGO coalition to curb gun violence in Latin America]. Julio César Torales es el presidente de Amnistía Internacional en Paraguay y también el secretario de comunicaciones de la Coalición Latinoamericana para la Prevención de la Violencia Armada (Clave). En diálogo con Tiempos del Mundo,... ( gunpolicy.org )
Argentina
Argentina Launches National Firearm Buyback to Slow Rising Gun Violence
InterPress Service News Agency
15 June 2007
BUENOS AIRES -- With strong support from peace and disarmament groups and the families of shooting victims, the Argentine government launched a programme Friday that encourages people to voluntarily swap their legal or illegal firearms for cash. The disarmament campaign, similar to one that was carried out in Brazil in 2004, forms part of a comprehensive violence prevention policy, which includes stricter controls on both the legal... ( gunpolicy.org )
Brazil, South America, Central America, United Nations
Global Gun Control Week Builds Pressure on Gun Violence in Latin America
O Globo (Brazil), Opinion
11 June 2007
It is Global Action Week against Armed Violence and we need to follow up on two important processes: internationally, the Geneva Declaration, and in Brazil, the new National Plan of Public Security and Citizenship. The Geneva Declaration on armed violence and development is an initiative of the Swiss government aimed at reaching a resolution on this issue at the UN General Assembly by the end of 2008 and defining goals for security... ( gunpolicy.org )
Brazil
São Paulo's Murder Rate Halved Since 2000, Gun Control Partly Credited
Brazzil Magazine
10 June 2007
The murder rate in the state of São Paulo has been cut in half since 2000. This will come as a surprise to many readers because there has been so much news coverage of brazen attacks by organized criminals on police stations and public transportation in São Paulo as well as in Rio de Janeiro and other Brazilian cities. These attacks are intended to generate media coverage, embarrass officials and intimidate law enforcement. They... ( gunpolicy.org )
Ecuador
Ecuador Launches Police Operation Against Illegal Possession of Guns
People's Daily / Xinhua
5 June 2007
The Ecuadorean government on Monday began a police operation to seize illegally-owned weapons to boost citizens' safety, Ecuador's Interior Minister Gustavo Larrea said. Authorities will patrol highways, streets, squares and areas where crime is high, Larrea told a domestic televion on Monday. "Illegally bearing arms is a crime carrying a sentence of up to five years in jail," he said, adding that those with illegal guns... ( gunpolicy.org )
Brazil
Drug-related Gun Battles in Rio de Janeiro Leave 19 Dead
BBC News
18 April 2007
Nineteen people have been killed in gun battles between rival drug gangs and in a separate incident involving police in Brazil's city of Rio de Janeiro. The battles are said to have involved drug dealers trying to gain control in the Morro da Mineira shantytown. The shootings caused chaos in the central district of the city. They happened as the government considers a request from Rio's governor for troops to be... ( gunpolicy.org )
Guyana
Tougher Firearm Law Will Tighten All Aspects of Gun Control in Guyana
Guyana Chronicle
14 April 2007
Several legislative bills are scheduled to be dealt with during this month's sitting of the National Assembly which will impact on various sectors including security, finance and labour, according to Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr. Roger Luncheon. He yesterday told a news conference that two bills on the security sector will be tabled to increase penalties for those contravening the laws with respect to firearms and harbouring... ( gunpolicy.org )
Brazil
In Rio, Ambulance Crews Carry, Spray-fire M-16s to Ward Off Drug Gangs
Washington Post Foreign Service
30 March 2007
RIO DE JANEIRO -- Emergency medical technician Antonio Carlos Maia doesn't ride shotgun in his ambulance. He rides assault rifle. The scuffed barrel of his M-16 juts out of the passenger-side window, locked and loaded with a magazine full of bullets. Just in case, a 9mm pistol is holstered under the bottom edge of his bulletproof vest. The ambulance driver and two additional EMTs riding in the back have their own guns, meaning that... ( gunpolicy.org )
Guyana
Guyana 'Awash With Illegal Weapons' as Gun Runners Cross Borders
Stabroek News (Georgetown)
11 March 2007
Head of the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU), Orvil Nedd, said that the agency is in possession of information pointing to a drugs for weapons trade prosecuted by smugglers operating across Guyana's borders. And sources told this newspaper that a particular criminal gang operating in Guyana had benefited from this trade, with a number of high-powered weapons being supplied to the gang in exchange for cocaine. In the US drug report... ( gunpolicy.org )
Venezuela
Venezuela Tools Up to Produce Domestic Pistols, Grenades, Assault Rifles
Bloomberg (USA)
5 March 2007
CARACAS -- Venezuela is developing its own grenade and pistol to reduce reliance on foreign arms suppliers, El Nacional reported, citing General Gustavo Ochoa Mendez, president of Cavim, the arms company involved. The Maisanta grenade, designed for asymmetric and conventional warfare, weighs 480 grams and has a reach of 25 meters and a lag time of 4.5 seconds between activation and detonation, while the Miranda revolver, a short-range... ( gunpolicy.org )
Guyana
Owning Guns in Guyana a Privilege, Should Be 'Extremely Easy to Lose'
Guyana Chronicle, Editorial
15 February 2007
In one article published last Sunday in this newspaper, it was noted that the Guyana Police Force resolved -- at the closing of its annual conference -- to "aggressively pursue measures to reduce the number of illegal guns in the country." An article published in the following day's issue underscored the dire need for this pursuit. During what was supposed to be a night of fun and frivolity, one of the GPF's very own met... ( gunpolicy.org )
Argentina
Buenos Aires Woman, 82, Buys Guns from Criminals, then Destroys Them
al Jazeera
4 February 2007
BUENOS AIRES -- Lidia Burry is 82-years old and is fighting her own war against poverty and crime in Argentina's shanty towns. In Argentina there are more than two and a half million guns, many of them hidden inside the slums of Buenos Aires, where they become the source of one of Argentina's biggest problems, an increasing crime rate. Burry is taking matters into her own hands by doing what many would be afraid of -- buying... ( gunpolicy.org )
Colombia, United Nations
Turn Guns Into Guitars, UN Tells Colombia in Campaign Against Violence
UN News Centre
22 December 2006
NEW YORK -- In biblical days the injunction was to beat swords into ploughshares. Now the United Nations crime-fighting agency is calling on Colombia, with one of the highest homicide rates in the world, to do more to crack down on organized crime and arms trafficking, citing one initiative that turns guns into guitars. The perception that the country is plagued by a culture of indiscriminate violence is incorrect as the use of... ( gunpolicy.org )
Argentina
Argentina Passes Law on Gun Control, Gun Buyback, Disarmament [Espanol]
Clarin / Télam
20 December 2006
[Translated summary: Argentina's new gun control law provides for a gun buyback, a ban on replica guns, a national inventory of all firearms, gun theft reporting, plus national bodies to regulate guns with input from from civil society]. La iniciativa, que ya contaba con media sanción de Diputados, prevé la entrega voluntaria de armas de fuego y municiones. A cambio, el Estado otorgará un "incentivo", que según la norma no podrá... ( gunpolicy.org )
Venezuela
Venezuela's Huge Gun Imports: Who's Watching Those 100,000 AKs?
Strategic Security Blog, Federation of American Scientists, Blog
19 December 2006
On November 29th, Venezuela received the final shipment of the 100,000 AK-103 assault rifles that it purchased from Russia last year. Despite the high-profile nature of this sale, little is known about Venezuela's plans for safeguarding the rifles, which would be a hot commodity on the region's vibrant black market. It's time to start asking some tough questions about the rifles and President Chavez's plan for protecting them. The... ( gunpolicy.org )
Venezuela, Russia
US/NATO Ban Forced Venezuela to Buy Russian Guns, Says Chavez
Itar-Tass (Moscow)
1 December 2006
CARACAS -- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Thursday denied accusations that purchases of Russian weapons fan up arms race in the region and said they are intended exclusively for defense. He also recalled that Venezuela began to buy Russian armaments after the United States imposed an arms embargo on Caracas in May under the pretext of insufficient cooperation in the fight against terrorism. "The purchases are intended exclusively... ( gunpolicy.org )
Venezuela, Colombia
Venezuela to Manufacture AK-47 Ammunition: Diversion Feared to Colombia
En la mira -- The Latin American Observer of Firearms
1 November 2006
As is of public knowledge, in May of last year the Department of Defense of Venezuela signed a contract with the Russian company Rosoboronexport to purchase 100,000 AK-103 assault weapons. 52,000 rifles out of the 100,000 have already been delivered. The contract also included the purchase of machinery and technology to manufacture ammunition for new rifles (1) in Venezuela. According to the plan created in the 90's by the Armament... ( gunpolicy.org )
Venezuela
Venezuela's Gun Imports, Planned AK-47 Factory Has Neighbours Worried
Miami Herald (Florida)
4 October 2006
BOGOTA -- Since 1947, the world has produced an estimated 100 million Kalashnikov assault rifles, the weapon of choice for insurgencies and criminal gangs. But for Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, that's not enough. With the help of the Russians, Chávez says, his country will open a factory to build the legendary avtomat Kalashnikova or AK-style rifles that could begin producing the weapons around 2009. Chávez has already purchased... ( gunpolicy.org )
Venezuela, United States
US Fears 100,000 New Venezuelan Assault Rifles Might Destabilise Region
Agence France Presse
3 October 2006
MANAGUA -- A top US general says there is growing regional concern that Venezuelan arms purchases could lead to a potentially unsettling spread of small arms and ammunition through the region. General John Craddock, the outgoing chief of the US Southern Command, said the Venezuelan military needed to be more transparent about its arms purchases. "What I have heard in the last few months is more concerns by more countries... ( gunpolicy.org )
Brazil
Brazilian States Which Destroyed Most Guns Saw Crime Rates Fall
Reuters
25 September 2006
BRASILIA, Brazil -- More than 150 Brazilians were murdered each day last year on average, putting Brazil on a par with some war zones in terms of its homicide rate, the Justice Ministry said on Monday. Some 55,000 Brazilians died of homicide in 2005 -- a few thousand more civilians than in three years of war in Iraq, according to leading estimates. Brazil, a continent-sized nation of 185 million people starkly divided into... ( gunpolicy.org )
Colombia
Colombian Gun Guitar Craftsman Finds Better Way to Rock in Hard Place
Reuters
22 September 2006
Polished rosewood and an artist's deft touch are all Luis Alberto Paredes needs to turn the tools of violence into symbols of peace. One of Colombia's top musical instrument makers, Paredes has branched out from traditional methods to fashion electric guitars from shotguns and AK-47 rifles once used by fighters caught up in the country's lingering guerilla conflict. "This used to hit a target at 800m," Paredes says, holding... ( gunpolicy.org )
Peru, Colombia, Jordan
Peru's Ex-spymaster Gets 20 Years in Jail for Global Gun Trafficking
Associated Press
22 September 2006
CALLAO, Peru -- Peru's former spymaster was sentenced to 20 years in prison for engineering a deal that sent 10,000 assault rifles to Colombian guerrillas, the harshest verdict yet against the powerbroker behind ex-president Alberto Fujimori's autocratic rule. Vladimiro Montesinos, 61, appeared impassive as a tribunal of judges on Thursday declared him guilty, closing a nearly three-year trial that has heard testimony resembling... ( gunpolicy.org )
Colombia
Colombian Wives Threaten Their Gunmen With 'Strike of Crossed Legs'
BBC News
13 September 2006
Wives and girlfriends of gang members in one of Colombia's most violent cities have called a sex ban in a bid to get their men to give up the gun. Dozens of women are said to be taking part in what is being called the "strike of crossed legs", a move backed by the mayor of Pereira. The city in Colombia's coffee-growing region reported 480 killings last year. A city official said the idea came from a meeting of... ( gunpolicy.org )
Argentina
Argentina Plans Cash for Guns Buy-back, Destruction, Tighter Gun Laws
InterPress Service News Agency
23 August 2006
BUENOS AIRES -- With the aim of reducing violence and crime, Argentina plans to implement a disarmament campaign similar to Brazil's, in which the State will offer money in exchange for weapons in the hands of private citizens. The disarmament bill that the government sent to Congress this month is part of a wider plan to tighten control over activities for which the use of firearms is legal, and to come down hard on illegal gun-running.... ( gunpolicy.org )
Argentina
Argentina Announces National Gun Amnesty, Cash Buy-back [Espanol]
La Nacion (Buenos Aires)
9 August 2006
[Translated summary: Argentina's president has announced a national plan to buy back and destroy firearms, and to reconsider gun laws. A 'vast majority' of Argentinians want to reduce gun ownership]. Anunciará hoy el Presidente un plan de desarme; lo debe aprobar el Congreso; incluye una amnistía y una campaña El gobierno de Néstor Kirchner anunciará hoy, a las 18, en la Casa Rosada, un programa nacional de desarme... ( gunpolicy.org )
Colombia, World
Bulletproof High Fashion Clothing a Runaway Success for Execs, Presidents
Business 2.0 Magazine (USA)
1 August 2006
"Who here hasn't been shot?" Miguel Caballero is walking around his company's showroom in Bogotá, Colombia, holding a .38-caliber revolver. "You!" he says, pointing to German Gonzalez, a 20-something salesman who's been on the job for just two weeks. "You're next." Gonzalez wiggles nervously into an $850 brown suede winter jacket and zips it up to the collar. A foot or so away, the smiling Caballero lowers the weapon and... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico, Australia, South America
How and Why Australia's Gun Laws Were Reformed [Espanol]
Tus Abogados (Mexico)
1 August 2006
[Translated summary: IANSA Director Rebecca Peters describes how Australia's gun laws were reformed from a background of domestic violence prevention]. Rebecca Peters es una abogada australiana que logró la recolección y destrucción de 700 mil armas en su país y fuertes reformas en la legislación, gracias a las cuales, las muertes por armas de fuego bajaron un 65 por ciento. Hoy, dirige IANSA (International Accion Network on... ( gunpolicy.org )
Venezuela, Russia
Venezuelan President Admires AK-47 Plant in Russia, Tips New Arms Deal
Kommersant (Russia)
27 July 2006
During his three-day tour to Russia, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez went to the country's world-known armory center, Izhevsk (Udmurtia). In Izhevsk, Chavez announced the intention to rearm Venezuelan army with the help of Moscow and lashed out at the United States, contrasting it with Russia. The Bush administration that is attentively eyeing the visit called on Moscow not to sell the innovative weapons to Caracas, including Su-30... ( gunpolicy.org )
Venezuela, Russia
Venezuelan President Tours Russian AK-47 Factory, Plans to Build One
RIA Novosti (Russia)
26 July 2006
MOSCOW -- Venezuela's president arrived in one of Russia's leading defense-industry cities Wednesday morning to tour the home plant of the Kalashnikov assault rifle and meet the regional leadership, a spokesman for the local authorities said. Hugo Chavez touched down in Izhevsk, the capital of the Republic of Udmurtia about 700 miles east of Moscow, and will meet with regional leader Alexander Volkov and gun-maker Mikhail Kalashnikov... ( gunpolicy.org )
Venezuela, South America
Campaign to Curb Demand for Assault Rifles in Venezuela, South America
El Universal (Caracas)
1 July 2006
CARACAS -- Amnesty International, Oxfam International, and the International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA) drafted a new report as part of the Control Arms campaign. Based on their recommendations, governments should increase their efforts to reduce the demand for assault rifles, starting with the reform of law enforcement agencies and military forces and controlled licensed production. The 18-page paper entitled, "The AK-47:... ( gunpolicy.org )
Venezuela
Venezuelan Plan to Build Kalashnikov Rifle Factory Stirs Regional Fears
Associated Press
18 June 2006
CARACAS, Venezuela -- President Hugo Chavez's plans to build the first Kalashnikov factory in South America are stirring fears Venezuela could start arming his leftist allies in the hemisphere with Russian assault rifles. Chavez denies such ambitions, saying his government bought 100,000 Russian-made AK-103 assault rifles and a license from Moscow to make Kalashnikovs and ammunition to bolster its defenses against "the most powerful... ( gunpolicy.org )
Venezuela
Venezuela Launches Gun Control Program for Civilians
Prensa Latina (Havana)
6 June 2006
CARACAS -- Venezuelan Deputy Minster of Interior and Justice (MIJ) Jesus Ramon Villegas announced Tuesday his country would carry out short-term actions to control possession of weapons in the civil population and thus reduce violence. In the opening of the meeting of Experts on Arms Control, held in the capital's Teresa Carreno Theater and continuing until June 8, Villegas confirmed participants would analyze international experiences... ( gunpolicy.org )
Venezuela
Venezuela, Russia to Build Latin America's First AK-47 Factory
Financial Times (UK)
6 June 2006
CARACAS -- Venezuela is to build Latin America's first Kalashnikov factory under a deal with Russia that has stoked fears in Washington about the oil-rich country's arms procurement plans. The administration of Hugo Chávez took delivery at the weekend of 30,000 new Kalashnikov AK-103 assault rifles from Russia, the first batch of a $54m (42m, £29m) contract for 100,000 units of the weapon favoured by guerrillas worldwide. ... ( gunpolicy.org )
Venezuela
The 30,000-Kalashnikov Threat in Venezuela
ISN Security Watch (Zurich), Web Page
2 June 2006
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez announced on 30 May that the first shipment of 30,000 AK-103 assault rifles would arrive in Venezuela by the end of June. On the same day, Alexander Badistan, spokesman for the Russian arms manufacturer Rosoboronexport, said the company would grant Venezuela a license to manufacture AK-103 rifles. Chavez's statement confirmed that claim. "The Russians are going to install a Kalashnikov rifle plant and a munitions... ( gunpolicy.org )
Colombia
Colombian Musician Makes, Plays 'Escopetarras,' Guitars Built from AK-47s
BBC News
1 June 2006
A young Colombian guitarist is using the internet to mobilise musicians to take the streets in the hope of calming outbreaks of guerrilla violence. Cesar Lopez, a classically-trained musician, is at the forefront of the Battalion Of Immediate Artistic Reaction, named in response to the government's Rapid Reaction Force. Although the group formed in February 2003 following a car bomb in the capital Bogota, it is now seeing... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia, Canada, Brazil, United Nations
Nations Disarm: Australia Set Off a Universal Gun-Control Revolution
Australian (Sydney), Opinion
28 April 2006
Today we remember the Port Arthur murder victims in church services and vigils, prayers and concerts, books and documentaries. The cross listing their names overlooks the memorial garden, a quiet place for contemplation and tears in honour of those so brutally slain on April 28, 1996. Another memorial to those killed and wounded on that awful day is less visible or tangible but powerful nonetheless: Australia's nationally uniform... ( gunpolicy.org )
Venezuela
Venezuela a Pretender to Grisly Title of Gun Homicide Record-breaker
Financial Times (UK)
10 April 2006
CARACAS -- Asked which country in South America has the worst track record for murder, most observers would probably respond Colombia. However, Venezuela now appears to have snatched the grisly title of homicide record-breaker. The country has been gripped by an outpouring of public anger in the past week over a spate of execution-style murders that have underscored a view among locals that President Hugo Chávez has lost control... ( gunpolicy.org )
South America, Central America, Colombia
25 Latin American NGOs Create Coalition for Gun Control [Espanol]
El Nuevo Herald (Miami) / AP
6 April 2006
[Translated summary: Nongovernmental organisations of 25 countries met to create the Latin American Coalition for the Prevention of the Armed Violence (KEY)]. BOGOTA -- Organizaciones no gubernamentales de 25 países crearon el jueves la Coalición Latinoamericana para la Prevención de la Violencia Armada (Clave), con el propósito de evitar la proliferación de armas de fuego en poder de civiles que generan miles de muertes en... ( gunpolicy.org )
Colombia
Colombia Suffers One of the World's Highest Levels of Gun Violence
Financial Times (UK)
5 April 2006
Colombia suffers one of the highest levels of armed violence in the world, although there has been a significant improvement since 2002, according to a joint report by the Conflict Analysis Resource Center and the Geneva-based Small Arms Survey. Between 1979 and 2005 more than 475,000 people were killed by the use of firearms through crime, organised and petty, and the ongoing conflict between the government and guerrilla groups.... ( gunpolicy.org )
Colombia
Guns Do Not Improve Security, Says International IANSA Activist [Espanol]
El Tiempo (Bogota)
4 April 2006
[Translated summary: Rebecca Peters, foremost activist against gun carrying, says that guns do not improve security]. Ella propone que el canje de armas no sea por comida, sino por cosas más atractivas como empleos y obras, como clínicas y escuelas. "Es como una granada de mano con la espoleta a punto de salirse. Es una persona muy peligrosa". La Asociación Nacional del Rifle, que defiende el porte de armas... ( gunpolicy.org )
Brazil
Former Soldiers Confess to Stealing Assault Rifles from Brazilian Army
United Press International
17 March 2006
RIO DE JANEIRO -- Two former Brazilian soldiers confessed to stealing weapons from an armory, prompting a military operation to recover them, O Globo reported Friday. Some 1,500 troops staged search operations in Rio's hillside slums known as "favelas" in an effort to find the cache of weapons. However after 10 days of searching, the patrols supported by tanks and helicopters did not find the guns. The operation... ( gunpolicy.org )
Brazil
Brazilian Army Recovers Assault Rifles Stolen by Shantytown Robbers
Associated Press
15 March 2006
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil -- The recovery of stolen weapons won't stop the army from searching shantytowns for the bandits who took them, security officials said Wednesday. The army announced Tuesday that it had recovered the 10 assault rifles and a pistol stolen from an army barracks on March 3 by seven gunmen wearing army-issue camouflage gear and ninja masks. The robbery triggered a massive military operation, with some... ( gunpolicy.org )
Brazil
Brazilian Troops, Police Storm Favelas in Search for Stolen Army Guns
Associated Press
8 March 2006
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil -- Army troops and federal highway police set up checkpoints on Rio de Janeiro's major access roads Wednesday, trying to prevent thieves from fleeing with rifles stolen from a Brazilian army barracks last week. Some 1,500 troops and police officers have occupied nine shantytowns searching for the guns stolen Friday by seven gunmen wearing army-issue camouflage gear and ninja masks. The gunmen overpowered three... ( gunpolicy.org )
Croatia, Chile
Chile Resumes Probe Into Illegal Gun Shipment to Croatia in 1991
SEESAC (Belgrade) / BBC Monitoring Service / HINA
8 March 2006
Chilean judge Claudio Pavez on Wednesday (8 March] announced the beginning of the second stage of an investigation into the murder of a Chilean military officer involved in an arms shipment to Croatia in 1991. Three retired Chilean generals and two army officers were arrested on Tuesday on suspicion of involvement in the attempted cover-up of the murder of Colonel Gerard Huber. According to the Chilean newspaper La Tercera,... ( gunpolicy.org )
Venezuela
35,000 Kalashnikov AK-103 Rifles to be Supplied to Venezuela in May
Itar-Tass
4 March 2006
CARACAS -- Venezuela will receive a batch of 35,000 Kalashnikov assault rifles this May, Defense Minister of this Latin American country Orlando Maniglia said on Friday. Venezuelan authorities, with a view to upgrade the armed forces, are diversifying military relations, Maniglia told the local media. The agreement on cooperation between Russia and Venezuela, concluded during the first visit to Moscow by President Hugo... ( gunpolicy.org )
Caribbean, Central America, Honduras, Colombia, Mexico, Brazil
Guns and Cocaine in Caribbean, Central America: A Market Out of Control
ISN Security Watch (Zurich), Web Page
28 February 2006
Gone are the days when the black market for cocaine required a few strong men, limited bribes, and involved the purchase of a few revolvers. The cocaine trade has expanded well beyond the Andean mountain corridor and the control of local actors there. The market for small arms and light weapons has completely overlapped the cocaine market. Purchases for arms are no longer made with cash but with cocaine, and the same routes used... ( gunpolicy.org )
Guyana
Guyana's Military Arrests Six Soldiers, Begins Hunt for Missing Weapons
Associated Press
28 February 2006
GEORGETOWN -- The Guyanese military detained six soldiers Tuesday after discovering weapons were missing from an arms depot at the army's headquarters, a military spokesman said. The military decided to check its weapons stocks earlier this month after explosives and ammunition were stolen from a depot in neighboring Suriname. A Guyanese weapons inventory found that at least five pistols were missing, said Col. Wilbert Lee, a military... ( gunpolicy.org )
Argentina
In 6th Such Killing in Argentina, Policeman Shoots Family, Self [Espanol]
Edicion Nacional (Argentina) / Télam
17 February 2006
[Translated summary: A Buenos Aires police officer used his pistol to kill his girlfriend, then himself, in a McDonald's. This was the 6th such incident involving police in 8 weeks]. Un oficial de la Policía Federal le disparó a su pareja, una cadete de la escuela de policía, y luego se quitó la vida de un tiro en la sien. Hubo escenas de pánico. Un joven oficial de la Policía Federal asesinó ayer a su novia, cadete... ( gunpolicy.org )
Guyana, United States
Police Suspect Official Collusion in Gun Smuggling from US to Guyana
Stabroek News (Georgetown)
13 February 2006
A senior official of the Custom Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) believes that someone in authority was part of the plot to clear a cache of arms and ammunition unearthed on Saturday at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri. And sources say that instead of the government trying to find out from the US who sent the weapons, efforts should be made at home to weed out the corrupt officers at the airport and other ports who are... ( gunpolicy.org )
Colombia
Trying to Cure Hiccups, Man Shoots, Kills His Nephew, Then Himself
Reuters
24 January 2006
BOGOTA, Colombia -- A Colombian man accidentally shot his nephew to death while trying to cure his hiccups by pointing a revolver at him to scare him, police in the Caribbean port city of Barranquilla said on Tuesday. After shooting 21-year-old university student David Galvan in the neck, his uncle, Rafael Vargas, 35, was so distraught he turned the gun on himself and committed suicide, police said. The incident took place... ( gunpolicy.org )
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