14 Latin American Nations to Label 25 Cartels as Terrorists at UN

Fourteen Latin American and Caribbean countries plan to sign a joint declaration this week at the UN General Assembly designating 25 criminal organizations as terrorist groups. The initiative is led by the Trump administration, which previously classified these groups as foreign terrorist organizations.

The signatories include Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Chile, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guyana, Honduras, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, and Trinidad and Tobago. Peru and Paraguay have confirmed their participation, while other governments have not yet responded to requests for comment.

“The cartels are the ISIS of the Western Hemisphere; they are not good people.”

The formal mechanism for the designation is the 1947 Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance, known as the Rio Treaty. The pact establishes collective defense among Western Hemisphere nations, meaning an attack on one member can be treated as an attack on all.

Analysts say the move lays the groundwork for potential military action against drug cartels. Trump told the General Assembly on Tuesday that he designated cartels as terrorists and gave the US military a free hand to eliminate them, calling cartels "the ISIS of the Western Hemisphere."

The countries involved belong to the "Shield of the Americas," an alliance of conservative governments formed with Trump's support. If finalized, this would mark the first time a group of Latin American governments collectively adopts such a broad terrorism designation alongside Washington.