How Latin American migrants became a geopolitical weapon

Failed states and criminality are driving record numbers of people to the US border. The resulting crisis of polarization may be regional, but the response should be global, writes Christopher Sabatini.

The World Today Published 9 December 2024 3 minute READ

Migration from Latin America to the United States has reached record levels, with more than 370,000 people intercepted at the US-Mexican border in December 2023 alone. Economic need, political repression and civil war were once the primary factors pushing flows of Latin American migrants northward. This has changed. Today, most are fleeing countries in the grip of criminal violence and state failure. 

Access the archive

The current issue is open access with previous editions reserved for our members and magazine subscribers.