Arms Trafficking and Colombia, Issue 1468The people of Colombia have experienced significant political instability and violence over the past century. While many factors have contributed to this situation-the drug trade, a protracted insurgent conflict, nationwide corruption-small-arms proliferation remains among the most serious of the country's problems. Addressing the issue of small-arms trafficking in Colombia poses enormous challenges, largely because the movement of these weapons is difficult to monitor and measure and does not conform to traditional definitions of a security threat. For this analysis, the term "small arms" refers to man-portable personal and military weapons, ranging from handguns to assault rifles to surface-to-air missiles (SAMs). These weapons are defined as small arms because they possess a number of characteristics that facilitate their rapid movement around the world. They are, by definition, small (and light), which allows for easy transportation across national borders and between continents. Small arms are also for the most part impervious to the environment, which allows for their repeated use in a wide range of climates and circumstances. Finally, small arms exist in legal white markets, semi-legal gray markets, and illegal black markets-resulting in a plethora of ways in which states and nonstate actors can access and distribute these arms.1. |
Other editions - View all
Arms Trafficking and Colombia Kim Cragin,Bruce Hoffman,Mark Berends,Stephanie Williamson,Paul Sorensen Limited preview - 2003 |
Arms Trafficking and Colombia Kim Cragin,Bruce Hoffman,Mark Berends,Stephanie Williamson,Paul Sorensen No preview available - 2003 |
Common terms and phrases
analysis arms acquisition Arms flowing arms trafficking patterns arms trafficking routes arms transfer black market Bogotá Brazil bring weapons caches Cambio Caribbean Central America Chapter citizens Colombia's internal Colombia's security forces Colombian authorities Colombian military criminal organizations Darien Gap decommissioned demilitarized zone distribution hubs drug Ecuador El Espectador El Salvador Espectador FARC FARC's fighting Forces of Colombia guerrilla groups guerrilla organizations guerrillas Gulf of Urabá guns Honduras illegal arms trafficking illegal weapons Indumil inside Colombia insurgent groups international security interviews kidnapping land routes Latin America Light Weapons Mercado Negro military weapons Misiles Mitú munitions National Negro De Armas Nicaragua Pacific País Panama paramilitaries Peru Phoenix Group Plan Colombia ports problem Puerto region rifles Salvador San Andrés Island Semana small arms Small-arms trafficking patterns smuggling sources stockpiles strategic supplies Tiempo trade transit routes Venezuela violence weapons and ammunition White markets