Americas under tension: conflict zones without declared war.
- Guilherme Pereira Tavares
- Oct 30
- 8 min read
We live in times of heavy words, conflict names etched in headlines, and dangerous comparisons. Throughout the Americas, there are areas so marked by tension, violence, and inequality that many are beginning to see them as modern-day "Gaza Strips," even without tanks or armies in open warfare. They are zones of silent conflict, but felt daily by millions of people. We want to show why here. The heart of this drama, unfortunately, beats in many corners, and not just in the distance.
Tension also arises in the silence of fear.
Many countries in the Americas have never engaged in open combat, but several communities no longer distinguish between the two. They live under the threat of organized crime, battle against authoritarian governments, face chronic poverty, and are plagued by intense migration crises. The result is a daily life of unannounced war, where danger rarely rests, from San Salvador to Tegucigalpa, from Tijuana to Rio de Janeiro, from Medellín to Port-au-Prince.
What makes a place comparable to war zones? What leads cities, neighborhoods, and even entire countries to survive under constant tension without an official declaration of conflict? That's what we want to talk about, and we need to face the truth head-on.
The Northern Triangle: fear, escape, and gang dominance.
El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala form the so-called Northern Triangle of Central America. These are nations with legacies of civil conflict and decades of instability, where organized crime has filled the void left by the state . MS-13 and Barrio 18 are names that echo in the streets and homes, synonymous with extortion, murder, drug trafficking, and territorial control.
Extortion is a daily occurrence for merchants and families.
Murders make these cities some of the most violent in the world.
The State, when it appears, is either weak or complicit.
We see a population trapped: young people co-opted by gangs, children prevented from studying out of fear, small businesses paying "protection money" to operate. The result is a persistent wave of migration. Hundreds of thousands flee north each year in search of survival.
Those who remain often struggle alone. According to reports from local NGOs (CENTRAL AMERICAN PUBLIC POLICY INSTITUTE. Migration and Security Report, 2023), the criminal justice system has limited resources and frequently resorts to violent responses, further aggravating the situation (UN, 2022; AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL, 2023).
The people's sentiment is clear:
"It's better to risk everything trying to escape than to wait for death here."
Mexico and its northern border: cartels, disappearances, and risky crossings.
Mexico, positioned between the migratory flows of Central America and the multimillion-dollar drug trade of the United States, possesses one of the most critical borders on the planet. The dominance of cartels, especially in states like Tamaulipas, Chihuahua, and Sonora, creates scenarios of daily fear not only for Mexicans but also for those coming from the south in search of the American dream.
Drug trafficking is the main driver of illegal economies.
Cartels control routes, impose laws, kidnap, extort, and kill.
Crossing the border is like playing Russian roulette: detentions, disappearances, and sexual violence are common.
According to recent estimates (GOBIERNO DE MÉXICO, 2023; OIM, 2023), tens of thousands of people disappear every year while trying to cross or work in border areas. Many become victims of human trafficking, forced labor, or face death in the desert.
The border itself is a no-man's-land, and everyone's land.
The stricter immigration policies in the United States have created new routes and incentives for even more violent actions by cartels, which profit by controlling both drug trafficking and the flow of people. We see the cycle feeding itself day after day.
Brazil, Colombia, and Venezuela: favelas, gangs, and the absence of the State.
We don't always need to look beyond borders to find zones of silent conflict. On our own South American continent, favelas in Rio de Janeiro, neighborhoods in Medellín, and communities in Caracas share something in common: the fierce dispute between criminal factions, militias, and, often, an absent or violent state.
In Brazil, recent police operations in the Alemão and Penha favela complexes demonstrate the seriousness of the situation. Residents report daily shootings, closed schools, paralyzed commerce, and young people being recruited by drug traffickers due to a lack of other options. With each major operation, the question grows:
Who protects and who threatens when the state and crime become indistinguishable?
In Medellín, Colombia, the phenomenon of "armed peace" is giving way to the growth of new factions. Territorial control remains in the hands of groups that are heirs to the old cartels. Caracas, in Venezuela, also stands as an extreme example: armed gangs occupy entire neighborhoods, dictating rules and replacing public authorities.
What emerges from these experiences is a sad realization: where there is a state vacuum, there are fertile grounds for armed groups to seize power . This turns every police raid into an armed confrontation and every night into uncertainty.
Haiti: catastrophe, gangs, and a near-absent state.
Few countries in the Americas carry such a heavy history as Haiti. In addition to the severe humanitarian crises caused by earthquakes (2010 and 2021), hurricanes, and healthcare collapse, the country has faced for years an almost total takeover of the state by armed gangs.
Political analysts point out that rival factions control most of the capital Port-au-Prince, and the central government resides under constant threat. Commerce, schools, and hospitals operate only when authorized by gang leaders, and access to international aid is limited by criminal blockades (UN, 2023; MSF, 2024).
Shootings and kidnappings are part of the routine.
Migration has become an alternative for mass exodus.
Food insecurity is reaching historic levels.
In a country with a fragmented state, little remains besides NGOs and civil society initiatives attempting to meet basic needs. Some neighboring countries are increasing targeted military operations to stem the wave of migration, but long-term solutions seem distant.
When tension spills over borders: migration and its side effects.
We are compelled to acknowledge the scale of this phenomenon. A zone of tension rarely remains isolated: instability and violence spread like waves, putting pressure on neighboring countries, increasing border controls, and generating harsh responses from governments that fear "contagion."
The migratory impact is brutal: data from the World Migration Observatory shows that, in the last ten years, the number of migrants coming from Central America and the Caribbean to the United States and Canada has grown by almost 230% (INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR MIGRATION, 2023).
Protecting a border has never been so expensive, nor so controversial.
Growth of zero-tolerance policies in the US and other countries on the continent.
Progressive militarization of borders, including the use of drones and new surveillance technologies.
Refugees facing situations of extreme vulnerability, camps, detentions, violence.
Organized crime, in turn, does not respect national boundaries. Mexican cartels partner with traffickers in South America; drug and arms routes pass through different countries, connecting consumer markets in the US and Europe. This criminal connectivity increasingly demands international cooperation (US DEPARTMENT OF STATE, 2023; BRAZILIAN FEDERAL POLICE, 2023).
The impact on those living in these areas: fear and life on hold.
Now is the time to listen to the voices of the communities that suffer the most, because numbers don't tell the whole story. We ask: what is it like to live in an "undeclared conflict zone"?
Schools close for days on end after shootings.
Teachers refuse to teach. Children are not learning.
Young people face two main fates: trafficking or migration.
Businesses are required to pay to open their doors.
Only a few basic services function without criminal interference.
Living under tension means learning to recognize the sound of gunshots, negotiating routines, and hiding dreams.
Growing up in fear limits the future of an entire generation.
Poverty persists, inequality grows, and options dwindle. And, as we saw in the protests in Chile (2019-2021) and Colombia (2021), accumulated social frustration also spills into the streets, this time against governments accused of negligence, corruption, and repression.
On these occasions, state repression often intensifies, further fueling the feeling of being in lawless territory.
Why so much emptiness? The role of the absent State.
We insist: the absence of consistent public policies is one of the main reasons why so many areas of the continent fall under the control of factions or paramilitary groups. Often, this absence is visible in the precariousness of basic services, the abandonment of income-generating policies, or fragile educational systems.
Gaps leave room for parallel command structures (militias, factions, armed organizations);
Laws are forgotten or replaced by rules imposed by force;
Police violence, corruption, and a lack of faith in the justice system further alienate citizens from the state.
This context not only creates territories where the formal state loses relevance, but also limits any real prospect of collective progress. A culture of "every man for himself" is born, while fear becomes the dominant political force.
Possible paths: rebuilding the social fabric
Even amidst so much pain, it is possible to imagine and build solutions. It is not simple, nor quick, but businesses, governments, NGOs, and grassroots movements have shown valuable clues. Among the paths suggested by experts (UNICEF, 2023; ECLAC, 2023; WORLD BANK, 2022), we highlight:
Investing in education and culture as an alternative to criminal recruitment.
To promote programs that generate jobs, income, and local entrepreneurship.
Reform security policies to prioritize community policing and reduce lethal force.
Expand international cooperation and information exchange.
To support quality social, psychosocial, and legal assistance initiatives.
One of the critical points lies in social mobilization: reporting, engagement, and reaffirmation of rights. There is also a growing role for the use of technologies, reporting platforms, safety apps, and networks that help connect victims to support organizations.
Products and courses recommended for those who want to understand and take action.
Human Rights Made Easy: Understand the Basics and Practice (Udemy Course), For those seeking to understand fundamental rights and how to defend them in conflict zones.
Social Entrepreneurship: Transforming Communities (Udemy Course) – Business ideas with social impact, relevant to vulnerable areas.
Armed Conflicts, Public Policies and Humanitarian Intervention (Hotmart) – For those who wish to delve deeper into the debate on humanitarian interventions and solutions.
How can we help? Active citizenship and collective responsibility.
It doesn't always seem like we have power; after all, borders and governments are beyond our reach. But experience has shown that real change arises from the sum of small actions and collective commitment . We've outlined some ways to take action:
Share reliable information about the situation in the Americas;
Support local NGOs and projects that provide direct assistance;
To demand from political representatives policies based on rights and dignity;
To value and protect human rights defenders;
Participate in debates, public hearings, and forums on security and social justice;
To encourage social inclusion and respect within one's own communities;
Small gestures create big waves of transformation.
There are no easy solutions, but there are possible paths. The important thing is not to become complacent, nor to accept the normalization of fear and inequality. The American continent is immense, diverse, and full of potential, and we cannot stand idly by while war zones are created where hope should flourish.
References
UNITED NATIONS (UN). Annual report on violence and displacement in Latin America and the Caribbean. New York: UN, 2022.
Central American Institute of Public Policy. Report on Migration and Security. Guatemala City: IPPAC, 2023.
Amnesty International. America Under Pressure: A Comparative Analysis of Risk Zones. London: AI, 2023.
GOBIERNO OF MEXICO. Government Secretariat. Missing Persons Report 2023.
International Organization for Migration (IOM). World Migration Yearbook 2023. Doctors Without Borders (MSF). Haiti Report: An endless humanitarian crisis. Paris, 2024.
Brazilian Federal Police. Annual Report on Drug Trafficking and Organized Crime. Brasília, 2023.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE. International Cooperation Strategies 2023.
UNICEF. Youth and Violence in Latin America: Challenges and Possibilities. Geneva, 2023.
ECLAC – Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean. Social Panorama of Latin America. Santiago, 2023.
WORLD BANK. Social investments for violence reduction. Washington, 2022.
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