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This article discusses how the U.S. gets involved with international domestic abuse. Around 4,000 women in Guatemala have lost their lives in the past decade due to domestic abuse and violence. Luckily, Ms. Alvarado was spared this unfortunate fate. She had tried to get away from her husband numerous times but because he was involved with the military he easily tracked her down. So, the Bush and Obama administration got involved and allowed her to come to an asylum in the U.S. to get away from her violent husband. This is because violence is not tolerated no matter what nation. However, the U.S. cannot do this to every women in the world, they must provide credible and specific testimony of persistent abuse along with other criterion in order to be rescued. This seems to be a very good structure for battered women to get away from the abuse; but I believe that something needs to happen within the country to change the high numbers of domestic abuse instead of just sending women to the U.S.

This site addresses how drug and alcohol abuse in Latin America is widespread among the urban poor, and how the two contribute to daily violence. In poor neighborhoods in the Colombian cities of Medellín and Bogotá, approximately half of the population uses drugs--mainly marijuana, followed by cocaine and amphetamines. It is believed that heavy drinking in Guatemala is associated with Mayans, indigenous people trapped in poverty by discrimination and armed conflict.

Many countries-Venezuela, Argentina, Brazil, and Cuba-are considering it mandatory to teach sexual education in primary schools. Many believe that the exclusion of sexual education has impacted the number of cases of sexual abuse, sexually transmitted diseases, and teenage pregnancies. The goal is to bring awareness to these issues in hopes of decreasing the rates and to teach children how to make choices responsibly.

Almost all of Latin America is required to provide sexual education classes for their students, however, these laws are widely ignored. Many children do not receive the proper knowledge about sex until the age of 12 or 13, even though a study conducted in Cuba shows that this is the age children are becoming sexual active. Without the knowledge of the issues of sex it leads to an increase in sexual abuse, sexually transmitted diseases, and many abandoned babies. The article also states that children in Argentina do not receive sexual education at all because of the conservative sectors in the area. Many committees and groups are lobbying to help make sexual education more prevalent in students education.

This article discusses the role of sexual education and how it affects the prevention of STDs, unplanned pregnancies, sexual abuse, and HIV/AIDS. Many countries in Latin America have laws stating that sexual education must be taught at schools, however in many of these countries this is not happening. Studies have shown that because these children are not receiving sexual education there are higher rates of unplanned pregnancy, STDs, sexual assault, and earlier ages of engaging in dangerous sexual activities.

This article addresses the impacts of domestic violence in Latin America. Is is estimated that between 30 and 45 percent of women in the region suffer from some form of physical, sexual of psychological abuse. Latin American women want domestic violence to become more visible to the public to show that everyone pays for it. Due to the efforts of women organizations, domestic abuse victims can now receive free psychological and legal assistance, along with have access to help-lines and shelters.

This article talks about the affects of violent crime on Latin American Society. It discusses the ways in which the government is trying to instigate new programs to reduce the crime rate relating to sexual abuse, drug-trafficking, kidnappings, gangs, substance abuse. The government plans to begin early education regarding these issues as well as encourage and strengthen citizen and community participation.

The video presents stories and images of the great poverty characterizing Haiti today. Issues of child extortion, abuse and slavery are addressed, and while Haiti may not necessarily be considered a part of Latin America by all, it is worth noting how such great poverty affects a culture, similar to countries such as Mexico and Guatemala.

This article talks about the role of alcohol and substance abuse and its affects on Latin America and the Caribbean. Social, political, religious beliefs are all topics of this article as it talks about the problems and solutions of this important issue.

This article details the growing trend of abused and battered women from Guatemala to seek asylum in the United States. In Guatemala, the law refuses to aid the women or protect them, which has led to enormously high rates of spousal killings. Unfortunately, violence against women in Guatelmala is not considered a crime

This sight documents the abuses done to homosexual couples in Mexico. I think this page gives good insight into how ashamed Mexican culture is of its gay community. The purpose of this organization is to seek social change through peaceful means but unfortunately it seems that simple letter writing campaigns will not stop discrimination on such a massive scale.

In many countries throughout Latin America, bullfighting is one of the most historical, most attractive activities. However, its cruel abuse to the bulls is a very controversial topic. According to this article, "approximately 250,000 bulls die each year" in Latin America and Europe combined. Some people argue that bullfighting should be abolished and tagged as illegal because of its cruelty to the animals. But others believe that it is unfair to deprive one of his own culture. This article provides a brief look into the complicated debate.

This article discusses discrimination against homosexuals in Mexico. San Francisco's Ninth US Circuit Court of Appeals has made several rulings granting asylum to gay or transsexual applicants from Latin America, where violence against homosexual is common. Some of them have even been abused by the police.

This article was written in response to the violence/crime related actions that are happening because of the increased amount of drug and substance abuse in Latin America. The article states that in January (when the article was written), the presidents of Colombia, Mexico, Guatemala, Panama were to meet in Panama to discuss what should be done and what measure should be taken to help. One major problem brought up by the article is that the instability that is happening particularly in Mexico could be a danger to the US because of the shared border.

. This article discusses how Evangelicalism in Latin American has improved the well-being of communities. Evangelicalism has made a positive impact on prostitutes, alcoholics, and drug abusers to change their lifestyles and learned how to improve their economic situations in ways that would not exploit them or put them in danger. The discussion is then furthered when the author examines Evangelicalism's potential to help improve the economic situations in Latin America and whether or not it can create more social changes.

Evangelicalism provides a way for social and culture change to occur. Here the flaws of the movement is pointed out so that the movement can prove to be more effective.

Recently in Guatemala, many Catholics and Christians were involved in a Peace Walk protesting the excessive amount of violence, murders, abductions, rapes, drug addiction, and violence stemming from drugs. The walk was aimed to represent the extreme necessity of security that needs to be brought into Guatemala. During the protest, people used religion to preach for peace by holding signs that read "through Jesus and Mary we can have peace." Gangs such as maras are causing an overall insecurity throughout Guatemala (a recent study stated that 78 percent of Guatemalans are afraid to go out in the street and 90 percent are afraid of kidnapping). Everyday the people of Guatemala are threatened not knowing if either themselves or a loved one will be harmed in some way. Until changes are made and there is more security, the people of Guatemala call upon God and protest.

over 10,000 Catholic and Christian Guatemalans protested their frustration over violence and drug abuse. Crime has increased drastically over the past year in Guatemala, with 6292 murders. Cardinal Quezada Toruno spoke to the protesters in front of the Metropolitan Cathedral in Guatemala and turned to god and social activism to help decrease violence and crime in Guatemala.

In Guatemala the rate of violent deaths of women is outrageously hight and is still growing rapidly. The murdering of women usually involves torture, rape, or mutilation. Norma Cruz,co-founder of the NGO Survivors Foundation, has helped to provide many victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse and the families of murdered women with emotional and social support. According to Cruz, the "increasing number of killings of women in Guatemala is tied to the poverty that is the aftermath of Guatemala's civil war..." Even though her position in the foundation has many risks and harms, it has given voice to many victims and inspired other foundations in Guatemala to help this on-going issue of violence.

Latin America is notorious for some of the worst prisons in the world, and large levels of HIV/AIDS cases have resulted from drug use and sexual relationships inside these institutions. This article notes the poor quality healthcare available in prison, and the issue of HIV/AIDS elevated by prison inmate interaction (drug use, sex) and poor healthcare.

In December of 2005, a bus driving in Honduras was stopped by gunmen in the notorious street gang Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) and had chosen their victims at random. The attack was meant as a protest generated towards the government's crackdown on gang activities. As the United States shifts its focus to the Middle East, it is ignoring a dangerous problem close to home, and the gangs have grown in power and numbers.

Gangs that started in the slums of the United States slowly shifted back to the homelands of these Central American members without warning local governments. An explosive growth in youth populations with social problems like that of poverty and unemployment are resulting in the the rapid spread of gangs north into Mexico and even back to the United States. Gangs are bringing in rampant crime, partaking in drug trade, and committing murders on innocent civilians. These gangs are threatening the strength of their weak government, who no longer know what to do to solve this ongoing issue that only seems to be getting worse.

This news report gives a description of street children in Colombia. This is of importance because it serves an indication of the dire conditions poor people endure. The report details haunting numbers and images that make street children seem all the more helpless.

The widespread growth of violent crime in Latin America is only getting worse. This epidemic is resulting in drug trafficking, gun crime, kidnapping, gang warfare, and murders. This violence is said to be cause from factor such as poverty, abundance of guns,and lack of police and state helpings. This has become a drastic issue that is leading to thousands upon thousands of unnecessary deaths.