Pacific sunrise over Latin America | Our Pacific

Illicit drug trafficking, diplomatic coalitions, and free trade ideology are drawing Pacific and Latin American countries closer together. The amount of illicit drugs seized by local and international law enforcement in the Pacific has reached unprecedented levels. This is the culmination of a developing process for many Pacific countries, which have evolved from drug trafficking routes to distribution nodes to profitable local markets. The crisis has promoted the establishment of a Special Investigation Unit, funded by Australia and New Zealand, based in Colombia. But transnational crime is not the only driver behind developing relationships with Pacific Islands Forum member states and Latin America.