On June 12-13, the IIJ hosted its first-ever workshop in South America, gathering criminal justice colleagues and other specialists from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Uruguay — as well representatives of the governments of Australia, France, the United Kingdom, and the United States — to explore how the threat of racially- or ethnically-motivated violent extremism (REMVE) manifests in the region.
The program, held in Buenos Aires and formally opened by Argentina’s Attorney General and Minister of Security, considered multiple facets of the REMVE threat, including the historic roots of violent extremism in South America, radicalization within the ranks of military and law enforcement, the regional linkages between REMVE and transnational organized crime, and how REMVE actors use emerging technology to achieve their objectives. Country delegations described the threat from their perspectives, including the cases they handle, the legal frameworks in which they respond, and their most pressing challenges. Participants reported prevalent neo-Nazi influences within the region’s ecosystem of REMVE actors, an alarming recent increase in school shooting plots, including many inspired by anniversaries of violent attacks in other countries, and concerns about links between REMVE actors and organized crime, especially large-scale drug trafficking. In addition to the country delegations, multilateral and non-governmental partners including EUROPOL, INTERPOL, the Organization of American States, the Royal United Services Institute, the Royal Military College of Canada, the World Jewish Congress and UNODC participated.
The IIJ will continue to use the IIJ REMVE Guide as a basis for this type of focused and topical exchange among front-line practitioners, policymakers, and experts.
For more information on this workshop, please contact the IIJ at info@theiij.org.
