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news articles submitted Central America, the Forgotten Frontier By Michele Miranda Ms. Miranda is an operations associate at East/West Institute in New York. Her research interest is international security in the developing world. With ineffective border security, weak governmental infrastructure, half-hearted efforts at regional cooperation, widespread poverty, and rising crime rate, Central America is ripe to be the new playground for the world’s most dangerous criminals, drug and human traffickers, and terrorist groups. For quite some time now, the borders and shores of Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Panama have become a major transit zone of the biggest shipment of narcotics and human trafficking from South America en route to the United States. As the world’s attention has shifted to the geopolitical scenario in the Middle East, Western governments, especially the United States, have forgotten its neighbors to the south. Last month, Saudi national Adnan G. Shukrijumah, an Al Qaeda operative listed in the FBI’s “Top 5” terrorist list, also known as the “next Mohammed Atta,” was spotted in an internet café in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Honduran Security Minister Oscar Alvarez states that suspected terrorist Shukrijumah has been involved in plots to disrupt shipping lanes by using explosives to damage the Panama Canal. On July 2, 2004, Ashref Ahmed Abdallah, an Egyptian national, was arrested by U.S. authorities at Miami International Airport for smuggling illegal aliens from the Middle East into the United States. This makes Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and other South American countries a staging ground for his operation. On May 3, 2001, the US Coast Guard intercepted a Belize fishing vessel carrying 26,400 pounds of cocaine (worth 600 million dollars) – hailed as the largest cocaine bust in maritime history. Aboard this ship were five Russian and Ukrainian members who claimed that they did not have any knowledge that illegal drugs were inside the vessel. In a trial held in San Diego, the federal jury found the crewmembers of the Svesda Maru not guilty of drug and conspiracy charges. The defense attorneys argued that their clients were not aware of the drugs inside the vessel. The prosecutors stated that this must have been part of a bigger operation that involved seven other boats shipping cocaine from Panama and Ecuador to the United States. Border security in this isthmus seems lax and law enforcement is weak. The US Coast Guard often does not discover illegal shipments until they reach America’s shore. Foreign criminals can easily extend their illegal operations because local law enforcement is ineffective, and at times, corrupt and susceptible to bribery. Poverty is so widespread that Central American citizens are willing to cross dangerous waters to become illegal aliens in foreign lands. From petty crimes to million dollar drug busts, national governments in this region in reality are ill equipped to manage the enforcement workload. A number of prominent Central Americans have suggested that creation of an integrated economic zone would help solve the drug and crime problems. For most Central Americans, the idea of uniting the seven small states of the sub region has been a long-time but frustrated vision. This vision brings hope for an integrated region that can coexist in peace and harmony. The idea of integration in Central America, however, is not new. Since Central American nations gained their independence from their former colonial powers, Spain and Mexico, they have formulated numerous integration proposals. Most of these have not been effective nor have they created a bedrock for a more solid ground amongst the Central American states. One of the latest attempts after the Cold War is the Treaty on Democratic Security in Central America (El Tratado Marco de Seguridad Democratica) signed on December 15, 1995 in Honduras. The Treaty is based on the ideas of strengthening democracy in the region, protecting human rights, eliminating narcotics and weapons trafficking, promoting sustainable development and the encouragement of a regional arms control arrangement with transparency, confidence, and long-term peace. Soon after entering into force, however, the Treaty’s signatories raised reservations regarding several of the Treaty’s articles. Moreover, the Central American Integration System, also known as SICA, a grander integration plan that encompasses economic, political, cultural, and ecological long-term objectives of the countries in the sub region is also flawed. Its goal was to bring peace, liberty, democracy and development through the notion of a “bigger country” for many Central Americans. Ironically, the unifying idea behind this proposal over time resulted in further disintegration and disagreement amongst the party members. On certain issues, states continue to resort to unilateral approaches to resolve disputes - as evident in a bitter case between Nicaragua and Honduras in 1999 over the formers recognition of Colombia’s sovereignty over a territory long claimed by Nicaragua. The European Union is the second largest trading partner of the Central American states after the United States. For the past five years, The EU has been very active in reinvigorating Central America’s integration process by holding a series of summits to promote their bi-regional relationship. On May 2002, The EU – Latin America and the Caribbean Summit, held in Madrid, reinvigorated the partnership between the two regions. From these talks, an agreement and a set of declarations followed. The EU and Central America (with the exception of Belize) developed the outline of an EU-Central America Political Dialogue and Co-operation agreement, an agreement that promotes political and social cohesion, free trade, economic growth, and the reduction of poverty. And lastly, on May 2004, the Declaration of Guadalajara reaffirms the importance of the projected agreements between the EU and Central America. Will this new partnership with the EU revive the stalled process of integration in the sub region? More importantly, is it not strategically important for the US to be as or more involve in the integration process considering it the biggest trading partner of the Central American states and continued integration failure means more terror and crime exported from the region? The Post September 11 security climate in Central America has already reached a crisis level. The region has all the ingredients for fermenting threats to global civil society. What was once just a major transit zone for narcotics is also turning into a potential staging area for terrorist groups. In every corner of the isthmus, the presence of organized crime and other non-state actors are unleashing havoc in this underdeveloped region. Washington should not take a backseat and ignore the events developing in its southern neighbor. The European Union cannot solely solve and salvage the integration process. Partitioning with the integration process and helping reshape this region to a place where states can coexist in peace and harmony with secure borders is an investment worth engaging in. More US involvement and support of their regional aspirations can prevent this place from becoming an area of failed states. If left attended, more Adnan G. Shukrijumah can come to infiltrate these nations. In only a matter of time, Central America can be the gate to more terrorist activities in the North. |