February 27: Peru
Peruvian authorities capture Comrade Artemio, the leader of Peru’s Maoist rebel group called the Shining Path. Throughout the 1980s and 90s, the Shining Path led a rebellion against the government with a goal to establish a communist state. The conflict has claimed the lives of about 70,000 people. However, the capture of its founder Abimael Guzman in 1992 has weakened the group and turned it into a drug smuggling organization.
March 6: Brazil
Brazil becomes the sixth largest economy, overtaking the United Kingdom. Although in 2011 Brazil’s economy grew only by 2.7 percent, less than in previous years, it did much better that most powerful economies struck by the recession. However, it is still classified as one of the most unequal countries in the world.
April 4: Colombia
The Colombian guerrilla group Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) releases six police officers and four soldiers, hostages kidnapped for ransom and held in captivity for more than 10 years. The move is a sign that the group wants to pursue peace talks.
April 15: Latin America
The leaders of North American and Latin American countries conclude a two-day Sixth Summit of the Americas that has been held in Cartagena, Colombia. Cuba has been excluded from the Americas summits. The purpose of these summits is to foster discussion of a variety of issues affecting the western hemisphere. This year’s topics focused on Cuba’s inclusion in future summits (supported by all states except for the United States and Canada), the legalization of drugs to fight the War on Drugs, and Argentina’s claims over the Falkland Islands. There is no final declaration of the summit due to the U.S.’s veto over Cuba’s future participation. The Seventh Summit of the Americas in 2015 is scheduled to take place in Panama.
May 13: Mexico
Violence between drug cartels in Mexico continues as the police find 49 mutilated bodies by a roadside in Monterrey in the north of the country. The massacre is blamed on fighting for drug smuggling routes. It is estimated that since 2006, about 50,000 people have been killed in drug-related violence.
May 15: Colombia
The free-trade agreement between the United States and Colombia comes into effect five years after it was signed. The deal will allow a flow of variety of goods between the two countries without import tariffs and is expected to boost investment. Colombia has been one of the U.S.’s staunchest allies in the region.
May 16: Brazil
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff establishes a truth commission, which will investigate human rights abuses during the military rule from 1945 to 1985. Rousseff, a victim of persecutions herself, says the commission will bring a sense of closure and reconciliation with the country’s past. However, because of the amnesty law passed in 1979, neither military officers nor the left-wing guerrillas can be prosecuted. The ruling of the commission will be symbolic.
July 1: Mexico
Enrique Pena Nieto from the Institutional Revolutionary party (PRI) defeats Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador of the leftist Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD) and wins Mexico’s presidential elections. Obrador refuses to concede victory, accusing his opponent of fraud. Nieto’s win ends 12 years of rule of the rightwing National Action Party (PAN). Nieto vows to tackle drug trafficking by adopting a different strategy. He announces he would create special paramilitary police squads to fight drug cartels alongside the military. He also promises to focus on strengthening the economy.
July 22: Paraguay/Venezuela/MERCOSUR
The MERCOSUR trading organization suspends Paraguay’s membership for the violation of its democratic clause after the impeachment of President Fernando Lugo. Lugo, Paraguay’s first leftist president was impeached and removed from office by the parliament. Lugo argues that he was denied due process, and several Latina American countries described the incident as a parliamentary coup. (July 31): Venezuela becomes a full member of the organization, which until now was being blocked by Paraguay.
October 7: Mexico
Heriberto Lazcano, the leader of the Zetas drug cartel in Mexico, is killed in a shootout with the country’s marines. The Zetas is one of the powerful drug organizations controlling drug-trafficking in north-eastern part of the country and is infamous for mass killings.
October 8: Venezuela
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez wins a fourth 6-year term in office, gathering 54 percent of the vote. He vows to continue the “Bolivarian revolution.” Even though opposition candidate Henrique Capriles loses the election, for the first time, he represents a united opposition that significantly managed to close the gap between Chavez and his next challenger.
October 16: Cuba
As part of the reforms pursued by the country’s President Raul Castro, Cuba eliminates the requirement of an exit permit for Cuban citizens who wish to travel abroad. The government acknowledges that the restriction did not prevent the flight of many Cubans from the country, but allowing the citizens to go abroad and bring back earned cash might help the country’s economy.
December 3: Colombia
The Colombian government launches air strikes on the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia’s (FARC) camps in Narino province near the border with Ecuador. The country’s president, Juan Manuel Santos, says he will give the rebels less than a year to disarm and join the political process as a political party. The peace talks to end 50 years of fighting between the government and FARC have started in October.