Top of PageGun Policy News
Firearm violence, gun control and small arms
Brazil,Iceland,United States,United Kingdom,Denmark
Low Rates of Gun Homicide in Iceland Despite High Gun Ownership
16 May 2013
BBC News
Even though I grew up in New England, there was something novel about seeing an Icelandic blizzard. It was paralysing, with epic wind gusts that made snowflakes feel like razors.
As I dragged my bags along Reykjavik's snowy pavement, an older man in a Jeep pulled alongside me.
"You want to get in?" he asked.
It sounded crazy. Why would I ever get in a stranger's car?
Despite everything I was taught about riding in cars with strangers, I climbed in the backseat. And... (GunPolicy.org)
Brazil's Firearm Sales Reach Record High as Gun Deaths Also Soar
13 May 2013
News Track India (Delhi)
RIO DE JANEIRO - The number of new guns legally sold in Brazil shot up in the last eight years, growing from 5,161 in 2004 to a record 31,500 in 2012, a media report said.
Figures from the Brazilian Federal Police showed a total of 183,722 new guns were registered in the country between 2002 and 2012, which equals two every hour, reported Xinhua citing O'Globo.
Among those sold in 2012, 60 percent of the weapons were purchased by policemen.
The newspaper said the... (GunPolicy.org)
What is Gun Control Like in Ecuador?
8 May 2013
El Telégrafo
Most guns used by citizens Ecuador are still handmade.
Manufacturing guns in Ecuador has been illegal since Feb. 2012. However, most private security companies are still arming their guards with locally-made weapons acquired before February 2012.
In recent years, efforts to register and decommission guns that don't meet safety standards have increased. Last year, in most populated province Guayas, 9,958 guns were registered. In Pichincha in 2012: 9,145 guns. In... (GunPolicy.org)
Yemen,Argentina,Costa Rica,Libya,Germany,United States,Brazil,Paraguay,Austria
Most Brazilian Guns Exported to US
29 April 2013
Folha de Sao Paulo
BRASILIA - The U.S., currently discussing restrictions on the sale of firearms, purchased 7.9 million guns from Brazil in the past 40 years, and 59% of those were exported during the Lula administration (2003-2010).
That is the result of a new study by the Army Command to which Folha had access through the Access to Information Act, with a detailed record of the sellers and buyers of 9.9 million revolvers, pistols, rifles and shotguns, among other weapons, exported... (GunPolicy.org)
Special Police Division Created in Peru to Combat Gun Crime [Español]
28 April 2013
RPP News (Peru)
[Translated summary: A new police division will be established to combat gun smuggling and the illegal gun market in Peru. A ballistics information system will record information about guns to identify those used in crimes. Around 150,000 guns in Peru are not registered and a long-barrelled Parabellum gun costs around $700 on the balck market.]
Una división especial que estará encargada de investigar los delitos de tráfico ilícito de armas de fuego, municiones y... (GunPolicy.org)
Argentine Citizens Can Object to Gun Access in New Initiative [Español]
14 April 2013
Diario El Argentino (Argentina)
[Translated summary: Argentina has introduced a new procedure to allow citizens to object to others' access to firearms, based on solid reasons. Authorities say a voluntary disarmament campaign, under law 26 216, has also reduced the availability of guns.]
Rige en el país el denominado Procedimiento de Participación Ciudadana por Oposición para la Autorización de Tenencia o Portación de Armas de Fuego.
El procedimiento permite a cualquier ciudadano la posibilidad... (GunPolicy.org)
Portugal,Libya,United States,Guinea-Bissau,Colombia
Alleged FARC Scheme Swapped Cocaine for West African Arms
12 April 2013
InSight Crime (Bogota)
An international police operation has dismantled a network in which Colombian rebel group the FARC allegedly attempted to exchange cocaine for weapons from the West African nation of Guinea-Bissau.
The investigation, involving US, Colombian, Portuguese, and Guinea-Bissau authorities, lasted over a year, reported EFE. Colombian police arrested two men in Bogota who are accused of serving as as the FARC's intermediaries for the West Africa-based weapons suppliers.
On... (GunPolicy.org)
Guyana Cop Fined for Burning Gun Licence Books
2 April 2013
Demerara Waves (Guyana)
A policewoman has admitted to burning two firearm licence books with intent to defeat justice.
Lance Corporal Edon Greene pleaded guilty to the charge and was fined $160,000 or 24 months imprisonment.
The prosecution told the court that the 44-year-old mother of three was attached to the registry of the Brickdam Police Station in the firearms section where she was in charge of issuing license books on behalf of the State.
The prosecutor said that checks revealed that... (GunPolicy.org)
Venezuela Candidates Promise Action on Security, Disarmament Plan
2 April 2013
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Venezuela's interim president and socialist party presidential candidate Nicolas Maduro has blamed the country's crime and violence problems on capitalism, and his rival Henrique Capriles led a march calling for improved security, as the country's security issues increasingly come to the fore in the presidential campaign.
United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) candidate Maduro echoed his predecessor, the recently deceased Hugo Chavez, in blaming the country's... (GunPolicy.org)
Drugs and Gun Violence Plagues Argentina Province
1 April 2013
Deutsche Welle
Argentina's Santa Fe province is one of the richest in the country. A focal point of the vast farming sector, hundreds of thousands of tons of soya leave the ports surrounding its main city, Rosario, every year. Despite the glossy facade, the province - and in particular the metropolis - is becoming known for something far more unsavory: an out-of-control drugs market and a spiraling murder rate.
The poor neighborhoods of Rosario, some 300 kilometers (185 miles)... (GunPolicy.org)
New Study Shows Gun Homicides Fell in Brazil After Tough Law Passed
1 April 2013
ABC News (USA)
BRASILIA, Brazil - A new study suggests the number of homicides in Brazil has fallen since the passage of a law restricting gun ownership.
The study by the government's Institute of Applied Economic Research says the homicide rate fell to 20 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2010 from 22 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2003, when the law was passed.
In 1980, Brazilians possessed an average of 10 firearms per 100,000 inhabitants. Widespread fears that the police weren't properly... (GunPolicy.org)
Venezuela Struggles With Guns, Violence in Schools
29 March 2013
InfoSur Hoy (USA)
CARACAS, Venezuela – Violence is becoming part of the school day for Venezuelan students.
Of the 289 educational centers surveyed by the Venezuelan Federation of Teachers (FVM), 85% reported acts of aggression in their schools. Six in 10 reported incidents of this type occur at least once a week.
On Jan. 8, Michelle Buraglia, a 15-year-old student, died after being shot by another child at Andrés Bello High School, one of the largest in Caracas.
After the murder,... (GunPolicy.org)
England & Wales,Germany,Guyana
Politicians Block Guyana Gun Control Laws Despite Arms Trade Treaty
28 March 2013
Guyana Times International
Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee has lamented that while critical steps are being taken in the international arena to hammer out an Arms Trade Treaty, locally the opposition has voted down a bill that seeks to strengthen this country's fight against illicit arms.
Negotiators from around 150 countries gathered in New York at the United Nations for a final push to hammer out a binding international treaty to end unregulated conventional arms sales, a pact that a... (GunPolicy.org)
Brazilian Singer Caught with Handguns at Routine Checkpoint [Português]
20 March 2013
Globo (Rio de Janeiro)
[Translated summary: Brazilian singer Udson Cadorini Silva, from the group Edson & Hudson, was caught with two illegal handguns at a routine police checkpoint. Silva belongs to a firearms association, which allows members to carry weapons to and from competitions and training.]
O cantor sertanejo Udson Cadorini Silva, de 40 anos, da dupla Edson & Hudson, foi preso em flagrante na madrugada desta quarta-feira (20) em Limeira (SP) por porte ilegal de arma. O sertanejo de... (GunPolicy.org)
South America,Eastern Europe,Thailand,Italy,Canada,United States,Philippines
The Gunmakers of the Philippines
20 March 2013
BBC News
CEBU, Philippines - A shot rings out from a factory on the outskirts of the Philippines' second-biggest city, Cebu.
But this isn't an all-too-frequent drive-by killing or an argument that has become violent.
The sound is from a testing range at Shooters Arms, the country's second-largest gun factory.
Shooters Arms produces about 20,000 pistols and shotguns every year, 85% of which are sold abroad - mainly to the US, Canada, Italy and Thailand.
Operations manager... (GunPolicy.org)
Africa,Americas,Asia,Europe,Oceania,United States,Russia,Italy,Germany,Brazil,Switzerland,Israel,Austria,South Korea,Belgium,Spain,Turkey,Norway,Canada,United Kingdom,Australia,France,Pakistan,Yemen,Honduras,El Salvador,Jamaica
Fact and Figures: Global Trade in Small Arms
18 March 2013
al Jazeera
Diplomats from around the world have gathered at the UN for talks on an international arms trade treaty, in an effort to stop the sale of illegal conventional arms.
Similar talks held last July failed, mainly due to the objections of the US and Russia, the world's two largest arms exporters.
Al Jazeera has compiled a list of facts related to the global production and trading of small arms.
1. Authorised international transfers of small arms, light weapons, their... (GunPolicy.org)
Sweden,Uruguay,Finland,Iraq,Saudi Arabia,Cyprus,Switzerland,Yemen,Serbia,United States
10 Nations with Highest Gun Ownership
12 March 2013
SiliconIndia
Bangalore: "Force and mind are opposites; morality ends where a gun begins," said novelist Ayn Rand. In an era where the misuse of guns and ammunitions are leading to massacres, it is no more a place of nonviolence. Arms and ammunitions leave bitter memories and scar the human race for ages to come. Here are the 10 countries with highest gun ownership, as listed by yahoo.com.
USA:
USA tops the list of countries with highest gun ownership and this no surprise! The... (GunPolicy.org)
Northeast Brazil Suffers Highest Gun Deaths - Study
11 March 2013
InSight Crime (Bogota)
A new study shows that northeastern Brazil is the region most affected by gun deaths in the country, having experienced a dramatic upswing in violence over the past decade.
The study, released by non-governmental organization the Brazilian Centre for Latin American Studies (Cebela) shows that over 36,000 Brazilians were killed by guns in 2010 -- a rate of 20.4 people per 100,000. The rate is slightly below 2000 levels but nearly triple the rate of 1980. Nearly 95... (GunPolicy.org)
How Brazil Exploited Sexual Insecurity to Curb Guns
8 March 2013
Bloomberg (USA)
Brazil has a gun culture, a gun industry and a gun problem -- much like the U.S. In fact, more Brazilians than Americans died of gunfire in 2010.
Yet Brazil's 2010 tally, 34,300 deaths, was significantly lower than its gun fatalities in 2003 (39,284), when the government enacted major gun-control regulation. I asked Brazilian political scientist Antonio Bandeira, who coordinates the arms-control program of Viva Rio, a nongovernmental organization in Rio De Janeiro, how... (GunPolicy.org)
Trading Handguns for Bicycles, Laptops in Uruguay
8 March 2013
Smart Planet
BUENOS AIRES — Walking along the riverfront boardwalk in Uruguay's sleepy capital city of Montevideo, it's hard to imagine anything drastic happening, much less a murder. Save for the occasional jogger, the majority of people on the rambla engage in the most Uruguayan of activities: sitting and chatting while drinking the herbal infusion mate from a calabash gourd. It is tranquilo by any definition.
But Uruguay has been experiencing a murder wave of sorts. In this... (GunPolicy.org)
New Study Shows 70 Percent of Homicides in Brazil are Firearm-Related
6 March 2013
Globo (Rio de Janeiro)
[Translated summary: The latest edition of Brazil's 'Map of Violence' shows that 36,792 people were shot and killed in 2010 in Brazil, an increase since 2009. 20.4 homicides per 100,000 citizens occur in Brazil and the highest homicide rate was in the region of Alagoas. The regions of Pará, Alagoas, Bahia and Paraíba all experienced a significant increase in homicides, despite anti-violence campaigns. 70 percent of all homicides were committed with guns.]
BRASÍLIA -... (GunPolicy.org)
Venezuelan Government Recognizes Record Murder Rate
4 March 2013
InSight Crime (Bogota)
The Venezuelan government has confirmed that over 16,000 people were killed in 2012, while over 2,000 were murdered during the first two months of 2013, pointing to little letup in the ongoing violence.
As EL Universal reports, figures released by national police agency the CICPC counted 2,576 murders in Venezuela during January and February 2013.
Meanwhile, Vice President Nicolas Maduro told Venezuela's National Assembly last week that there had been 16,072 recorded... (GunPolicy.org)
Venezuela Extends Civilian Firearms Ban, as Murder Rate Rises
1 March 2013
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Venezuela has extended a nationwide ban on the commercial sale of firearms for another year, even though the policy has so far had little impact on curbing the country's rising murder rate.
Weapons sales will continue to be prohibited and no new personal firearms licences will be granted within the next year, reported El Universal.
The move was announced during a ceremony in which 245 guns were decommissioned by the government, 60 percent of which were seized in the... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Homicide Rate Rising in Argentina as Drug War Heats Up
26 February 2013
Independent (UK)
ROSARIO - The events of that evening in January are etched into Vilma Jaime's memory. The sun had set, but it was still oppressively hot and neighbours were outside in the street, chatting and drinking traditional mate tea. Then the gunshots began.
Ms Jaime ran into her house, and watched through the keyhole of the front door as the blood started to spill. Three people were shot that night – miraculously, no one was killed. But many others have not been so lucky.
Ms... (GunPolicy.org)
Peruvians Feel Unsafe as Gun Crime Rises, Gangs Proliferate
22 February 2013
InSight Crime (Bogota)
A new government survey highlights how there are far more Peruvians afraid of falling victim to crime than actual crime victims, even as the country continues to struggle with thousands of urban street gangs.
A recently released survey by government statistics institute the INEI found that 38 percent of those surveyed said they had been a crime victim, with robbery the most common offense. Another 87 percent said they were afraid of falling victim to crime in the near... (GunPolicy.org)
Second US Teachers Pension Fund Drops Gun Shares
15 February 2013
Financial Times (UK)
A New York City teachers' retirement fund has withdrawn $13.5m in investments in gun manufacturers, in the latest move by a public pension fund to distance itself from the firearms industry after a mass shooting at Sandy Hook elementary school.
John Liu, New York City's comptroller who serves as investment adviser to the $46.6bn fund, said on Friday that the shooting that left 20 children dead in Newtown, Connecticut, and "the continued prevalence of gun violence... (GunPolicy.org)
73% Increase in Gun Crimes, Uruguay to Strengthen Penalties[Espanol]
9 February 2013
El Observador (Montevideo)
[Translated summary: The use of firearms to kill grew by 73% in Uruguay: in 2011, firearms were used in 63 crimes, in 2012, they were used in 109 crimes. The Ministry of Interior intends to regulate this gun black market by strengthening penalties.]
En 2011 63 personas murieron baleadas, mientras que en 2012 fueron 109 los homicidios en los que se utilizó arma de fuego para matar, anunció el ministro del Interior, Eduardo Bonomi, en la interpelación del jueves, en... (GunPolicy.org)
Over 100 Guns Seized After Venezuela Prison Massacre
8 February 2013
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Authorities have seized over 100 firearms, as well as ammunition and drugs, from the Venezuelan prison where dozens recently died in a riot, yet another indication of the total lack of state control over the country's infamously violent prison system.
In a February 7 press conference, Venezuelan Head of Penitentiary Affairs, Iris Varela, stated that 106 firearms, over 8,500 rounds of ammunition and an unspecified amount of cocaine and marijuana were found at Uribana... (GunPolicy.org)
Uruguayan Govt Gives Out Bikes for Guns
7 February 2013
Care2 (California), Blog
Uruguay, under the current administration, has garnered a reputation for its "thinking outside the box" approach to leadership, and it's gotten results. Now, in an quirky effort to reduce the number of firearms in circulation, the government is again trying something new, offering citizens to turn in their unregistered guns in exchange for something infinitely more amusing — a shiny new bike.
Or, as Uruguay's Interior Ministry puts it, the tradeoff is "Weapons for... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexicans Swap Over 3,000 Guns for Computers, Bikes in Amnesty
6 February 2013
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Mexico City authorities have received over 3,000 firearms in exchange for cash, bicycles, tablet computers and other goods, in new amnesty program aimed at tackling gun crime.
The program, "For your family, voluntarily disarmament" (Por tu familia, desarme voluntario), has been running in three of Mexico City's 16 districts for the last two months. El Capitalino reports that government officials associated with the program have visited nearly half a million homes in... (GunPolicy.org)
Western Europe,Sudan,South Africa,Colombia,Finland,Estonia,United States
13 Key Questions and Answers about US Gun Violence
4 February 2013
Atlantic (USA)
How much gun violence is there in the U.S.?
There were 8,583 homicides by firearms in 2011, out of 12,664 homicides total, according to the FBI. This means that more than two-thirds of homicides involve a firearm. 6,220 of those homicides by firearm (72%) are known to have involved a handgun.
It's worth noting that violent crime rates of all types have been steadily decreasing since the early 1990s. No one is quite sure what is causing this decrease, though there are... (GunPolicy.org)
Uruguay Offers Computers for Guns in Amnesty Ahead of New Law
31 January 2013
New York Daily News
Politicians in Uruguay are offering gun owners an amnesty with a twist — with those handing in their deadly firearms being given a bicycle or a laptop computer in exchange.
The move, which will also see sentences for the illegal possession of guns made more severe, comes as the government revealed that one in three of its citizens were armed.
The Interior Ministry said in a statement: "The campaign proposes an exchange; the citizens hand over the firearm and... (GunPolicy.org)
Chile,Brazil,Germany,Libya,Turkey,Denmark,Sweden,Canada
Critics Say German Report on Weapons Exports Reveals Little
30 January 2013
Deutsche Welle
Critics says the government's report on arms exports lacks transparency: exporting companies are not named, and government sales are merely summarized. Yet the government claims it's in-depth and detailed.
How is it that time and again military equipment "made in Germany" shows up in war zones, despite German government claims that it handles its weapon exports "restrictively" and that it maintains a broad ban on exports to countries with questionable track records for... (GunPolicy.org)
Bolivia,United States,Colombia,Brazil,Argentina
Bolivia Breaks Gun Trafficking Ring, Weapons From US to Brazil
28 January 2013
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Bolivian authorities broke up a network suspected of smuggling guns from the United States to Brazil's First Capital Command (PCC) gang, highlighting this Andean nation's role as a transit route in the region's illicit arms trade.
On January 25, authorities arrested four Bolivian nationals in the city of Santa Cruz and seized an arms shipment worth $150,000 that was destined to be sent across the border to the Brazilian PCC gang, reported EFE news agency.
Among the 28... (GunPolicy.org)
Over 300,000 Guns Destroyed in Venezuela Since 2003 [Espanol]
27 January 2013
Agencia Venezolana de Noticias (Caracas)
[Translated summary: 303,000 firearms have been destroyed since 2003 in Venezuela, according to officials.]
CARACAS - 303.000 armas de fuego han sido destruidas desde el año 2003 hasta la fecha en Venezuela, lo que destaca como el primer país en el mundo con importantes logros en materia de destrucción de armas, informó el director de la Policía Nacional Bolivariana (PNB), Luis Fernández.
Las declaraciones las ofreció en la parroquia La Pastora, ubicada al... (GunPolicy.org)
Asia,Europe,Germany,South America,United States,Austria,Italy,Croatia,Belgium
European Arms, Money Fuel US Gun Addiction say Experts
23 January 2013
Deutsche Welle
After each massacre in the US, Europe laments America's gun culture and violence. At the same time, European companies have no problem selling arms to Americans and supporting the NRA's fight against tougher gun laws.
It is not widely reported, but European firearms for a long time have played a pernicious role in US mass shootings and Europe's gun makers are among the strongest backers of the National Rifle Association (NRA).
Handguns by Austrian arms manufacturer... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Mexico,Venezuela
The Impact of Obama's Gun Control Proposal in Mexico
23 January 2013
InSight Crime (Bogota)
President Obama's push to enact stronger gun control measures answers a long-held wish from Mexican officials, but how likely is it to change the security dynamic south of the Rio Grande?
President Obama announced a new push to pass legislation limiting access to deadly weapons last week, adding, "I will put everything I've got into this." The proposal encompasses 23 executive orders, three of which Obama has already signed and went into effect immediately: an end to... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico,Peru,Ecuador,United States
Criminals Used Mexican Postal Service To Move Drugs, Guns
23 January 2013
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Revelations over how criminal groups used Mexico's public postal service to transport drugs, guns and contraband have highlighted the need for authorities to tighten the country's postal inspection regime.
In an interview with El Economista, ex-Sepomex Director Purificacion Carpinteyra described how criminals transported illicit goods in trucks bearing the Sepomex logo and even earned genuine Sepomex contracts through offering discount or even free transportation... (GunPolicy.org)
Firearm Licence Records Missing in Guyana After Alleged Police Fraud
18 January 2013
Demerara Waves (Guyana)
The Guyana Police Force says it cannot find records for firearm licences sold between August and December last year and is appealing to persons who received their licences during that period to report to the Office of Professional Responsibility.
This was revealed in a press statement from the force on Friday which came three days after the GPF announced that a female lance corporal had been placed under arrest in connection with a firearm licence fraud uncovered at... (GunPolicy.org)
Colombia,Paraguay,Brazil,United States
What the US Can Learn From Brazil's Epidemic of Gun Violence
18 January 2013
Latitude News
A man walks into an elementary school with two handguns. Within minutes, more than thirty children are dead or wounded.
This isn't Newtown, Connecticut, but Realengo, a neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. On April 7th, 2011, Wellington Oliveira murdered twelve children and wounded twenty others. The tragedy sparked a national conversation on gun violence, a huge problem in Brazil.
On Wednesday, in reaction to a different massacre, President Obama proposed a series... (GunPolicy.org)
Brazil Allows Police High Calibre Guns, NGOs Worried About Corruption
16 January 2013
InSight Crime (Bogota)
The Brazilian military will now allow police and firefighters to buy powerful .45 caliber guns for personal use, raising fears over how the weapons will be used and where they might end up.
Prior to the ruling, only federal police were permitted to buy .45 caliber weapons, while other police agencies carried less lethal .40 or .38 weapons. The new regulations open the way for civil, military, and transport police to purchase .45 handguns.
The military command, which... (GunPolicy.org)
Ecuador Claims FARC Buying Arms During Peace Talks
16 January 2013
InSight Crime (Bogota) / EFE News Agency
The FARC rebel group has been increasing its arms purchases since the beginning of peace talks with the Colombian government, according to an Ecuadorian general.
Army General Fernando Proaño Daza, who commands troops on his country's border with Colombia, told EFE that arms trafficking had increased since the beginning of the peace process, which formally began in October. According to Proaño, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) is "taking advantage of... (GunPolicy.org)
Colombia,Venezuela,Mexico,Chile,Brazil,Argentina
Gun Laws in Six Latin American Nations Explained
11 January 2013
Americas Society/Council of the Americas
Following a mass school shooting in Connecticut in December 2012, policymakers in the United States began engaging in a renewed debate about gun control. AS/COA Online looks at gun-related legislation in Latin America's six largest economies, identifying regulations for arms licensing. In Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Venezuela, gun possession is legal for civilians, though restrictions tend to be stringent. …
Argentina: Gun ownership in Argentina... (GunPolicy.org)
Guatemala,El Salvador,Venezuela,United States,Australia,Jamaica,Russia,Colombia
NRA 'Good Guys With Guns' Theory Already Disproved in Latin America
5 January 2013
New York Times
In the wake of the tragic shooting deaths at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., last month, the National Rifle Association proposed that the best way to protect schoolchildren was to place a guard — a "good guy with a gun" — in every school, part of a so-called National School Shield Emergency Response Program.
Indeed, the N.R.A.'s solution to the expansion of gun violence in America has been generally to advocate for the more widespread deployment and... (GunPolicy.org)
Unsecured Antique Gun Kills Brazilian Teen in Accidental Shooting
4 January 2013
Telegraph (UK)
A Brazilian teenager died after an antique shotgun which had been hidden for years fell to the floor and went off as he was cleaning his room.
Helciane Pereira da Silva, 14, was shot in the stomach by the gun, which is believed had been placed in a gap near the ceiling of the boy's room by a previous owner.
Police in Monteiropolis, in Brazil's northeastern state of Alagoas, said the teenager had been rearranging his room at the time of the accident and had probably... (GunPolicy.org)
Colombia,Paraguay,Chile,Brazil,Uruguay,Venezuela
Tough Gun Control Laws in South America
27 December 2012
I Love Chile, Opinion
SANTIAGO — It is interesting to have a look at firearms legislation in South America, where street gangs and violence is commonplace. According to a study done at Universidad de Chile, the number of incidents of handgun use is higher in regions with low levels of education, high poverty and unemployment, and a younger population. It is not surprising that the most vulnerable zones in this matter are Brazil, Colombia, and Venezuela.
In Brazil, the minimum age required... (GunPolicy.org)
Zimbabwe,Pakistan,Colombia,United States,Brazil
Brazil Should Continue Responsible Gun Control, Reduce Deaths Further
25 December 2012
Rio Times, Opinion
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – Last week's slaughter of twenty elementary school children in the United States has tragic echoes with the massacre in Realengo, Rio de Janeiro earlier this year. At 8:30 AM on April 7th, Wellington Oliveira calmly walked into a classroom with two .38 and .32 caliber handguns, and shot twelve children dead.
At least sixty shots were fired and twenty boys and girls were critically wounded. It was the worst school massacre in Brazilian history.... (GunPolicy.org)
United Kingdom,Finland,Colombia,Mexico,Western Europe,Australia,Yemen,Canada,New Zealand,United States
On Guns and Gun Law, America an Outlier Among Developed Nations
20 December 2012
Huffington Post (USA)
How freely do guns flow in the United States compared with the world's other industrialized countries?
According to GunPolicy.org, run by Philip Alpers, a firearms analyst at The University of Sydney, the United States is unusual with what Alpers described as the "two pillars" of gun control: licensing gun owners and registering weapons.
"You are basically the only country in the developed world that doesn't license gun owners across the board and you are almost alone... (GunPolicy.org)
Honduras,Colombia,Mexico,Panama,Guatemala,Swaziland,South Africa,Jamaica,Philippines,Brazil,El Salvador,United States
Top 12 Countries for Firearms Related Deaths
17 December 2012
Forbes (USA)
Few major nations have the right to bear arms configured in their Constitution. Even fewer (as in we are the only one) have gun control legislation as a hot button political issue. The U.S. is the most violent core economy in terms of gun related deaths. It is also the leader in gun violence at school campuses. Yet, the U.S. does not lead the world in firearms related deaths. Countries were gangs and drugs are a problem top the list, even where there is strict gun... (GunPolicy.org)
Bolivia,Peru,United States,Colombia
Bolivia Busts Gun Smuggling Ring as Gun Control Debate Continues
12 December 2012
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Bolivian police dismantled an arms trafficking network reportedly run by a former soldier, just as the government is discussing drafting a law that would increase penalties for smuggling weapons.
Police seized 31 weapons as part of the operation, including machine guns, rifles, bazookas, and over 3,600 bullets, reports Bolivian newspaper Los Tiempos. The former soldier who ran the smuggling network trafficked weapons from suppliers in Bolivia, Colombia, and Peru, the... (GunPolicy.org)
Bolivia Police Seize Guns, Ammo from Suspected Traffickers [Español]
11 December 2012
Opinion (Bolivia)
[Translated summary: Bolivia police seized 32 guns, over 3,500 bullets from the La Paz home of suspected gun dealers. Two people were arrested.]
La Policía descubrió en las últimas horas una comercializadora de armamentos en una vivienda particular de la calle Agustín Ugarte de la zona Tembladerani de la ciudad de La Paz, donde delincuentes bolivianos, peruanos y colombianos acudían a adquirir las armas de fuego para delinquir.
El director de la Fuerza Especial... (GunPolicy.org)
Colombia Homicide Rate Falls, Leaders Attribute Drop to Gun Ban
7 December 2012
InSight Crime (Bogota)
So far in 2012 Colombia has registered a seven percent decrease in homicides compared to last year, continuing the downward trend in violence the country has experienced in the last decade.
By December 2, Colombia's National Police had recorded 13,209 homicides throughout the country, a drop of 921 compared to the same period in 2011, according to El Tiempo. If it continues at this rate, the country will register around 14,400 murders this year compared to 14,746 in... (GunPolicy.org)
Caribbean Officials to Increase Efforts Against Drug, Gun Trafficking
6 December 2012
Jamaica Gleaner
PORT-OF-SPAIN - A senior official of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS) has described as "disturbing" the illicit trafficking of small arms and the growth of gangs in the region.
"Our borders are targets for drug traffickers, people trafficking and, most disturbing, illicit trafficking in small arms and ammunition. Our homicide rates are notorious and often defy logic, except when placed alongside the high number of... (GunPolicy.org)
Costa Rica,Mexico,Honduras,Guatemala,Colombia,Brazil,El Salvador
Study Shows South America Gun Deaths More Likely in Cities [Español]
5 December 2012
Prensa Libre (Guatemala) / EFE News Agency
[Translated summary: A new study found that over 60 percent of gun homicides in Costa Rica, Guatemala and El Salvador occur in large cities. ]
GINEBRA - El informe titulado "Violencia urbana armada" señala que las capitales de los países concentran buen parte de la violencia, por ejemplo la Ciudad de Guatemala o Managua, que contabilizan un 42 por ciento del total de los homicidios armados a nivel nacional.
El estudio, basado en cifras oficiales, revela también las... (GunPolicy.org)
Illegal Ammo Shipment from US Seized in Venezuela
27 November 2012
Fox News Latino (USA) / EFE News Agency
Venezuela's militarized police on Tuesday seized 18,000 rounds of ammunition hidden in a container unloaded from a vessel that arrived from the United States, the Interior Ministry reported.
The ammunition found in the northwestern port of Maracaibo was hidden in boxes of electrical appliances imported from Miami, ministry press secretary Jorge Galindo said on Twitter.
The Venezuelan government issued a decree in February banning sales of guns and ammo as part of an... (GunPolicy.org)
Nearly 300 Crime Guns Stolen from Evidence Lock Up in Brazil
26 November 2012
Fox News Latino (USA) / EFE News Agency
A group of armed men overpowered the lone security guard at a judicial system arms depot in Colombo, a city in southern Brazil, over the weekend and stole 291 firearms that were going to be introduced as evidence at different trials, police said.
The firearms, mostly revolvers and pistols, had been seized by police in various operations and were being held at the depot so they could be used as evidence in different cases.
The robbery occurred around 12:30 a.m. Sunday... (GunPolicy.org)
Drug Gang Shootings Blamed for Uruguay Homicide Rate Rise
22 November 2012
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Uruguay is on course for its most violent year on record, according to a new report, suggesting that organized crime may be increasing its presence in one of Latin America's historically more peaceful countries.
The Proposal Foundation (Fundacion Propuesta - FP), an organization that monitors security in Uruguay, released figures putting the country on course for a homicide rate of 9.19 per 100,000 in 2012. This marks a jump from 6.27 per 100,000 last year, and means... (GunPolicy.org)
Uruguay Police Suspected of Stealing Guns, Trafficking to Brazil Gangs
14 November 2012
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Uruguay is investigating 20 police officers for the disappearance of some 200 firearms over the past two years, as evidence suggests the officers may have been involved in an arms trafficking ring that sold weapons to Brazilian criminal organizations.
The officers, including a former police chief, are suspected of involvement in the disappearance of more than 200 firearms from police headquarters in Treinta y Tres, an eastern province that shares a maritime border with... (GunPolicy.org)
Armed Crime Rate Up in Guyana, Homicide Rate Unchanged
14 November 2012
Demerara Waves (Guyana)
Guyanese police are reporting a spike in armed robberies and a slight increase in murders and an 8.1 percent reduction in road fatalities.
In its latest update, the Guyana Police Force stated that robbery under arms has increased by 15% up to October 2012, with 854 reports compared to 744 for the same period in 2011.
The number of armed robberies involving the use of firearm at the end of October 2012 was 512 compared to 468 for the same period in 2011, an increase of... (GunPolicy.org)
Authorities Identify US Networks Trafficking Guns to Colombia
13 November 2012
InSight Crime (Bogota)
US and Colombian police say that they have uncovered evidence of two Florida-based networks which smuggled arms into Colombia, evidence of the role US gun traffickers play in arming criminal groups in the country.
El Tiempo reported that the discovery of an illegal arms shipment in Bogota's international airport resulted in Colombian and US authorities identifying two separate family-run arms trafficking networks which sent weapons from central and south Florida to... (GunPolicy.org)
Venezuela Police Seize, Destroy Weapons in Fight Against Crime
5 November 2012
Venezuela Analysis
Mérida – Venezuela's National Bolivarian Police Force (PNB) has extended operations to eight states throughout the country, as part of the deepening of government policies to tackle the country's high crime rate.
On Saturday 924 PNB officers were deployed in the north-eastern Anzoategui state under the auspices of Mission Full Life Venezuela, a program launched by Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez in June to coordinate the expansion of the PNB and other crime... (GunPolicy.org)
Peru Authorities Concerned About Gangs with Homemade Guns [Espanol]
1 November 2012
Peru 21
[Translated summary: Authorities are alarmed at the increasing use of cheap and simple homemade guns by criminals in Peru, including by youth.]
Alarmante. Ahora los cientos de pandilleros que generan zozobra en la capital 'fabrican' de manera artesanal sus propias armas de fuego y las utilizan durante sus enfrentamientos. Tal es el caso de un grupo de delincuentes juveniles de Comas al que la Policía le incautó nada menos que nueve armas caseras con sus respectivas... (GunPolicy.org)
Gangs in Peru Using Homemade Guns, Weapons
1 November 2012
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Police in Peru's capital seized a cache of guns apparently made out of iron pipes by local street gangs, illustrative of how the intense, highly localized conflict between neighborhood gangs has pushed even the most low-level groups to arm themselves.
Lima police reported seizing the nine homemade pistols - iron pipes crudely welded together into 'T' shapes - after breaking up a gang fight in the northern district of Comas. A youth fleeing the scene dropped a backpack... (GunPolicy.org)
Colombian Man Charged Over Guns Found in Backpack [Espanol]
29 October 2012
El Diario (Colombia)
[Translated summary - A Colombian man was arrested after being found with four weapons in his backpack. He was charged with possession, manufacture and trafficking of weapons.]
En una celda de la cárcel de varones La 40 de la ciudad de Pereira, pasó la noche Jhon Darío Puerta Vargas, de 37 años de edad y quien fue capturado el pasado sábado en el municipio de Quinchía, después de que le hallaran en su poder cuatro armas de fuego.
Según el informe de policía... (GunPolicy.org)
Peru Authorities Propose More Security Spending to Replace 'WWII' Guns
23 October 2012
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Challenged by a resurgent Shining Path rebel movement and increasing drug crops, Peru's Congressional Defense Commission has set out plans for a 20 percent increase in the military and police budgets, and a doubling of the number of police officers.
Jose Urquizo Maggia, head of Congress' Defense Commission, said that the police and armed forces suffer from budget shortfalls, lacking sufficient equipment. He suggested that mining taxes that are not spent by local... (GunPolicy.org)
Venezuelan Officials Close Prison After Violent Clashes, Seize 56 Guns
22 October 2012
Huffington Post (USA)
CARACAS, Venezuela — Venezuelan prison officials have shut down a prison and seized dozens of weapons after moving inmates to other lockups.
Officials found a total of 56 guns, thousands of rounds of ammunition and 12 grenades at the prison in Coro in western Falcon state, Penitentiary Service Minister Iris Varela said on Monday at a news conference. Officials displayed the weapons on a table at the prison, where state television showed officials walking down grimy... (GunPolicy.org)
Honduras,Colombia,Mexico,Guatemala
Honduras to Review Gun Laws in Effort to Lower Crime, Death Rates
18 October 2012
Christian Science Monitor / InSight Crime
The Honduran government is reportedly set to conduct a review of its gun laws in an apparent effort to combat rising violence levels, though equal emphasis will need to be made on addressing endemic corruption and weak institutions to solidify any gains.
Matias Funes, a representative from the independent Commission on Public Security Reform (CRSP), said on Oct. 16 that Honduras' gun laws are in need of urgent revision if efforts are to be made to combat the country's... (GunPolicy.org)
Puerto Rico,Mexico,Honduras,Barbados,United States,Colombia
US Man Breaks Silence on Pre-Fast and Furious Operation, 'Castaway'
8 October 2012
Kansas City Star (Missouri) / Miami Herald
A sensational election-season report into the botched Operation Fast and Furious gun-tracking operation has cast new light on a simultaneous Florida firearms investigation linked to violence in Colombia, Honduras and Puerto Rico.
Called Operation Castaway, the Florida case has received far less attention than Fast and Furious. The latter became an embarrassing distraction for Obama's administration when it was implicated in the death of a federal agent and Mexico... (GunPolicy.org)
Online Report Claims Over 900,000 Guns Lost by Govt in Colombia
3 October 2012
InSight Crime (Bogota)
The Colombian government has lost track of some 900,000 weapons owned by civilians, according to an online report, many of which might have ended up in the illegal arms trade.
Website Kien y Ke reported that neither Colombia's Office of Commercial Arms Control or Indumil, the two government agencies that control the sale of arms, were able to account for 900,000 arms of the 1.2 million are legally held by civilians.
The weapons' owners never renewed their licenses,... (GunPolicy.org)
Venezuela Authorities Destroy 12,000 Guns After Civilian Amnesty
19 September 2012
InSight Crime (Bogota)
The Venezuelan government announced that it has destroyed more than 16,000 firearms so far this year, but despite this apparent success, concerns remain about the widespread availability of firearms in the country.
An official from the Venezuelan Commission for Arms Control and Disarmament also praised the recent handover of 1,418 weapons seized in various operations in the state of Aragua, saying it was "clear and convincing proof" that the government is fulfilling... (GunPolicy.org)
Police Show Routes Guns Smuggled Through Ecuador, Most From Peru
17 September 2012
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Police investigators in Ecuador, long a source of arms for Colombian guerrillas, say that the routes used by gun runners stretch across the country, with most weapons entering via the southern border with Peru.
According to an investigation by El Comercio, Ecuadorean police have identified the main routes used by arms traffickers in the country to smuggle guns to armed groups in Colombia. Although the country has been identified as a major source of weapons and... (GunPolicy.org)
Brazil Authorities Seize Guns, Drugs After Fatal Gang Shootout
12 September 2012
Fox News Latino (USA) / EFE
An elite police unit killed nine people during an operation targeting drug traffickers in Varzea Paulista, a city about 50 kilometers (31 miles) from Sao Paulo, Brazilian officials said.
Six of the nine suspects killed in Tuesday's operation have been identified and all had lengthy criminal records, the Sao Paulo Security Secretariat said.
Forty officers from two squads of the ROTA special operations battalion took part in the operation, which also resulted in the... (GunPolicy.org)
New Colombia Data Shows Gun Carry Ban Reduces Homicide Rate
12 September 2012
InSight Crime (Bogota)
The murder rate in Colombian capital Bogota has fallen to its lowest point in 27 years, following a citywide ban on carrying guns in public.
Homicides in the Colombian capital have dropped by 21 percent this year, with 817 murders between January and August, compared to 1,021 murders in the same period in 2011. That equates to a murder rate of 16.1 per 100,000 people for 2012, making Bogota less violent than Chicago, whose rate is 19 per 100,000.
According to BBC... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Americas,Suriname
Suriname Signs OAS Agreement to Tackle Gun Smuggling
12 September 2012
Caribbean News Now
WASHINGTON, United States - The Organization of American States (OAS) and the government of Suriname on Tuesday signed a cooperation agreement for the donation of a firearms marking machine to the Caribbean Community country, in order to improve its capabilities to combat the illicit trade in weapons. This initiative is part of the efforts outlined by OAS Secretary General José Miguel Insulza that define the organization as a strategic actor in the fight against... (GunPolicy.org)
New Report Says 'Fast and Furious' US Guns Found in Colombia
10 September 2012
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Several weapons that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) allegedly allowed to be purchased and moved by straw buyers in the so-called "Fast and Furious" case have reportedly ended up in Medellin, Colombia. The finding comes just days before the US Justice Department's Office of the Inspector General will issue a report on the case.
As Colombian newspaper El Tiempo reports, these weapons include at least 2 rifles and 14 Five-seven pistols. Some... (GunPolicy.org)
Estimated 182,000 Illegal Firearms Said Circulating in Peru
30 August 2012
La Republica (Peru)
[Translated summary: Peru held an amnesty for gun owners whose licences had expired but only collected 2,500 weapons, meaning 182,693 soon-to-be illegal weapons will be in circulation. The law is being changed to tighten the restrictions on civilian gun ownership and improve registration of weapons.]
Realidad. Culminada la amnistía, se presentaron 2.500 pedidos de renovación de las 185.193 armas que ya presentan licencia vencida. 268 pistolas, revólveres, escopetas... (GunPolicy.org)
Tonga Police Seize 'Vast' Weapons, Ammo Cache from MP's Home
30 August 2012
TVNZ (New Zealand)
A Tongan MP is facing charges after allegedly conspiring with a Colombian drug lord to export hundreds of kilograms of cocaine from Tonga.
Lord Tu'ilakepa will face weapons, ammunition and drug exportation charges when he appears in a Tongan court in October.
Australian police allege Tu'ilakepa conspired with notorious South American drug lord Obeil Antonio Zuluaga Gomez to bring 690kg of cocaine from South America into Tonga by sea.
The drugs would have then been... (GunPolicy.org)
Peru,Argentina,Dominican Republic,Colombia,Mexico,Russia,United States
What Google's Arms Trafficking Map Tells Us
28 August 2012
InSight Crime (Bogota)
The lights blanketing the globe on Google's latest foray into data visualization tell a hidden story of the gun trafficking business: that understanding the movement of ammunition is just as important as understanding the movement of weapons.
Google says the interactive map, which was a joint initiative between Google Ideas and the Brazil-based Igarape Institute, was pulled together using more than a million data points of small arms, light weapons, and ammunition... (GunPolicy.org)
South America,Central America,Caribbean
Report Shows Firearms Homicides in Latin America Exceed Global Rate
28 August 2012
InSight Crime (Bogota)
According to a recent report by European research project Small Arms Survey, 21 out of 23 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean exceed the global average for the number of homicides committed with firearms.
The report, released on August 27, shows that firearms homicides in Latin America and the Caribbean are far higher than the global average of 42 percent. Firearms were found to be used in 60 percent of homicides in South America, 61 percent in the Caribbean,... (GunPolicy.org)
Six People Die in Random Nightclub Shooting In Brazil
28 August 2012
Zee News (India)
RIO DE JANEIRO - Six people were killed and 14 wounded in a gunfight at a nightclub in the southeastern Brazilian city of Belo Horizonte, police said Monday, blaming the violence on a dispute between gangs.
Scores of people were inside the club late Sunday night when two armed men burst in as a band was playing and started firing indiscriminately.
One of the intruders was carrying a military-issue submachine gun, police said.
Several club patrons drew guns and... (GunPolicy.org)
Chile Authorities Undertake New Gun Amnesty Campaign
20 August 2012
Infosurhoy (Chile)
SANTIAGO, Chile – Neighbor, be conscientious.
That's the motto of the campaign the Carabineros de Chile police force is carrying out to reduce the number of firearms in the hands of Chileans in response to the growing number of robberies and murders involving guns.
There were 11,783 robberies and 93 murders involving firearms last year. In 2010 there were 12,987 armed robberies, but that number should plummet this year, as there were 4,699 armed robberies committed... (GunPolicy.org)
Venezuela Authorities Seize 22 Guns, Guard Shot at, During Prison Raid
16 August 2012
EFE News Agency / Fox News Latino (USA)
The warden of a prison in the northwestern Venezuelan city of Maracaibo escaped unharmed on Thursday when a group of inmates shot at him, authorities in Zulia state said.
The prison chief came under attack while investigating a report of armed inmates in one of the cellblocks, state Security and Public Order Secretary Odalis Caldera told Efe.
The warden was accompanied by members of the police team responsible for security outside the prison walls and the attack "was... (GunPolicy.org)
Arrest of Gun Smuggler Points To Illicit Arms Trade in Ecuador
10 August 2012
InSight Crime (Bogota)
The capture of a FARC operative who obtained arms for the guerrilla group in Ecuador is the latest sign that the country is increasing cooperation with authorities in neighboring Colombia to crack down on rebel activity in its territory.
Working with Colombian intelligence, Ecuadorian police arrested Edilson Castro Lopez, alias "Chicanero" (pictured) near Quito on August 4. Chicanero is accused of managing arms purchases for the Joint Western Command of the... (GunPolicy.org)
Guyana Firearm Owners Need Constant Safety Reminders, Gun Clubs
6 August 2012
Guyana Chronicle (Online)
There are perhaps about 4,000 licensed civilian firearm holders in Guyana and I will wager that no more than 90% are very familiar with their weapons and/or practise shooting fairly regularly. Such a situation defeats the very purpose for which one was issued a firearm licence in the first place. To defend life and property with a firearm requires more than the basic knowledge of your firearm which was imparted to you when you bought same. Additionally, firearm holders... (GunPolicy.org)
Ecuador Authorities Seize Illegal Gun Shipment on Peru Border
2 August 2012
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Ecuadorian authorities seized an illegal shipment of weapons allegedly destined for the FARC that included anti-aircraft munitions and sub-machine guns, on the border with Peru.
The shipment, which was confiscated in the border town of Huaquillas on August 1, also contained mortars, anti-tank weapons, and .50 caliber ammunition, reported El Tiempo.
Ecuadorian authorities detained two adults and a minor, one of whom was Colombian.
El Pais reported that the shipment... (GunPolicy.org)
Italy,Germany,Austria,Europe,United States,Brazil
Europe's Role in US Mass Murders: EU Nations Often Provide the Guns
24 July 2012
Washington Post, Opinion
Americans mourn the victims in Aurora, Colo. In Europe, too, there is grief — mingled with incomprehension. The media chorus: How many more massacres before the United States adopts European-style gun control?
Christoph Prantner of Austria's Der Standard bemoans American insistence on Second Amendment rights, "even when this freedom occasionally has a very high price and, in a bloody perversion, fatally impairs the freedom of others."
I can't disagree. I just wish... (GunPolicy.org)
Truck Drivers in Bolivia Want Law to Allow Them to Carry Guns [Espanol]
23 July 2012
Erbol Digital (Bolivia)
[Translated summary: The Executive Secretary of the Confederation of Drivers of Bolivia, Franklin Durán, said that its industry presented to the Plurinational Legislative Assembly a bill authorizing them to use firearms to defend their trucks.]
LA PAZ - El secretario ejecutivo de la Confederación de Choferes de Bolivia, Franklin Durán, señaló hoy que su sector presentará a la Asamblea Legislativa Plurinacional un proyecto de ley que les autorice el uso de armas... (GunPolicy.org)
Over 280,000 Firearms Destroyed in Venezuela Since 2003 [Espanol]
19 July 2012
Prensa Latina (Havana)
[Translated summary: 287,838 firearms have been destroyed since 2003 by the Venezuelan government. During the same period, an estimated 600,000 weapons have entered the country.]
CARACAS - El gobierno venezolano ha destruido más de 280 mil armas de fuego desde el 2003 hasta la fecha y continúa este proceso en combate contra la inseguridad, afirmó hoy el miembro de la Comisión Presidencial de Desarme Reinaldo Hidalgo.
En los últimos nueve años se han destruido en... (GunPolicy.org)
Colombia Police Allege Gang Guns Come from Venezuela Military
18 July 2012
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Colombia police have seized weapons from criminal gang the Rastrojos which include guns reportedly traced to the Venezuelan military, hinting at a connection between the neo-paramilitary group and elements of Venezuela's army.
During the operation, which took place just a few miles from Colombia's border with Venezuela, police seized 55 firearms, including M-16, AK-47, and FAL rifles, among others, said Defense Minister Juan Carlos Pinzon. According to a report by El... (GunPolicy.org)
South America,Caribbean,Jamaica
Jamaica Government Gets New Firearms Marking Machine
18 July 2012
Jamaica Information Service
The [Jamaican] Government has acquired two firearm marking machines to support its efforts to stem the illicit trafficking in small arms.
The Dot Peen machines, obtained through an agreement with the Organization of American States (OAS), will allow the authorities to trace weapons by placing marks on them, which cannot be easily erased, should they fall into the possession of criminals.
In addition to the machines, two laptop computers were also handed over for... (GunPolicy.org)
Argentina Loses 400 Military Guns, Pointing to Brazil Connection
16 July 2012
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Argentina's Armed Forces have lost track of more than 400 firearms in the past two years, according to a government report, in evidence that military stockpiles may be feeding a regional arms bazaar.
The newspaper Clarin obtained a report which Chief of Staff Juan Manuel Abal Medina prepared for Argentina's Congress, highlighting the theft of arms from the army, air force, and navy. Among the weapons stolen from the air force and army were six Browning heavy machine... (GunPolicy.org)
Guyana Police Accused of Selling Sub-Machine Gun Owned by Criminal
14 July 2012
Kaieteur News (Guyana)
Less than a week after Acting Police Commissioner Leroy Brumell warned corrupt ranks to turn in their badges, five TSU ranks are under investigation for allegedly collecting $360,000 to release a man whom they had nabbed with drugs and a loaded submachine gun.
Kaieteur News understands that the incident occurred on Thursday in Kitty and that three of the ranks, including a cadet officer, are under close arrest at the Brickdam Police Station.
Investigators have seized... (GunPolicy.org)
Falkland Islands,Argentina,Bahrain,United Kingdom
Arab Spring Demands Change in UK Small Arms Export Policy - Report
13 July 2012
Al Arabiya / AFP
Britain must exercise more caution in granting licenses for the export of arms to authoritarian regimes such as Bahrain in light of the Arab Spring uprisings, a parliamentary report has urged.
A Commons select committee review of export controls also revealed that Britain's Foreign Office (FCO) is concerned about the sale of equipment to Argentina amid tensions over the Falkland Islands, the Guardian reported Friday.
Select committee chairman John Stanley said the... (GunPolicy.org)
Venezuela Seems Set for Record-breaking Murder, Gun Violence in 2012
12 July 2012
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Venezuela saw 9,510 murders in the first six months of the year, according to police figures, putting the country on track to surpass 2011's record level of violence.
If killings continue at the same rate, based on figures from investigative police force CICPC, the country would have a murder rate of 68 per 100,000 by year-end, according to El Universal.
The newspaper notes that the rate could be even higher as homicides usually rise in the second half of the year. In... (GunPolicy.org)
Angola,Africa,West Africa,Venezuela,Iran,Egypt,Algeria,South Sudan,Liberia,Germany,France,China,United Kingdom,Russia,United States,South Africa
For Africa, Ammunition Control Deserves Global Gun Trade Treaty Focus
9 July 2012
IRIN (UN News)
JOHANNESBURG — For a couple of hundred dollars or less an arms dealer can illegally source a blank end user certificate with the required signatures and stamps - needed to transfer weapons across international borders - and "if no one checks its authenticity (often the case) he can ship his wares to the world's hotspots with minimal risk, for maximum profit," a report by the Small Arms Survey (SAS) said in 2008.
Since then "not much has changed" Glenn McDonald, based... (GunPolicy.org)
Colombia,Chad,Sudan,Congo (DRC),Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,European Union,Pakistan,India,China,Africa,Russia,Syria
NGOs Set Minimum Specifications for Arms Trade Treaty [Francais]
27 June 2012
Le Monde (France), Opinion
[Translated summary: Associations, NGOs and hundreds of members of the global coalition "Control Arms" have set minimum specifications for the future Arms Trade Treaty. It will have to control all types of conventional arms and ammunition used by military as well as by law enforcement, since they can be used for serious human rights violations. ATT will include exports but also imports, transit and all types of transfers and all actors, such as arms brokers, like Viktor... (GunPolicy.org)
Ecuador,Venezuela,United States,Colombia
Colombia Busts Alleged FARC Arms Dealer
21 June 2012
InSight Crime (Bogota)
A suspected arms trafficker whose network is accused of supplying 500 rifles to the FARC rebels has been arrested in Colombia.
Carlos Enrique Pombo was arrested in Cali in a joint operation between Colombia and US law enforcement, and Interpol. US authorities accuse Pombo's network of smuggling some 500 rifles into Colombia for the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrilla group, reported El Tiempo.
The accused trafficker has been operating since 2003,... (GunPolicy.org)
More Assault Rifles Floating Around, the Last Thing South America Needs
15 June 2012
Honduras Weekly, Editorial
Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez said on Wednesday that his country has built several unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and has plans to potentially export them to other Latin American countries. The president of Compañia Anonima Venezolana de Industrias Militares (Cavim) says the drones have a radius of 100 kilometers, a flying time of 90 minutes and a maximum altitude of 3,000 feet. The plane can transmit live streaming video and take high resolution... (GunPolicy.org)
Venezuela Set to Produce 25,000 Kalashnikovs, Sniper Rifles a Year
14 June 2012
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Venezuela is nearing completion of an arms factory which will produce 25,000 Kalashnikov and sniper rifles a year, a development which could have troublesome implications for the conflict in neighboring Colombia.
In a June 13 televised speech, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez praised an arms factory in Aragua state, constructed with Russian assistance. Though it is still waiting on equipment from Russia, when production is at full capacity the factory will be able to... (GunPolicy.org)
Syria,Canada,United Arab Emirates,Venezuela,Lebanon,Iraq
No Gun Control Plus Idle Youth Equals Recipe for Trouble - Opinion
6 June 2012
National (Abu Dhabi), Opinion
'The weapon first, fighting second," goes an Arabic proverb, which pretty much explains why there is so much conflict in the world today. But it also describes perfectly what I have had the misfortune of seeing as I've travelled and worked in war zones across the region.
I remember the time I was in Iraq, and the family I was staying with insisted that I carry some form of weapon as "defence" and protection. Even their grandmother carried a small hand gun in her purse... (GunPolicy.org)
