We are making this statement on behalf of a consortium of civil society organizations working in defense of human rights and democracy, especially in Latin America.
In its 2025 Annual Report, the INCB expressed concern over the increase in extrajudicial killings of individuals suspected of drug trafficking, noting that these violate human rights and the international drug control conventions.
One of the problems we are now facing in Latin America is the use of the counter-terrorism framework to combat criminal organizations. The term “narco-terrorism” is used to frame a diverse set of problems. It is a deliberate conflation of categories that seeks to introduce a new wave of emergency measures and militarization.
This is not about relativizing the gravity of organized crime activities. These have consolidated forms of criminal governance, which have resulted in serious human rights violations.
However, the way it was configured after 11S in 2001, the use of the counter-terrorism framework implies militarization, the suspension of guarantees, and high levels of state opacity.
The consequences of the failure of the “war on drugs” are well documented. These consequences are further intensified by the expansion of the concept of “narco-terrorism.” In recent months this problem has been taken to the extreme through the use of this category as a tool to enable military interventions, in disregard of international law.
Countries adopting this framework quickly expand it to persecute political dissidents, vulnerable sectors such as migrants and indigenous peoples, and to shrink civic space.
The problem is not only the type of counter-terrorism policies. The “narco-terrorism” narrative renders invisible two key dynamics of organized crime: state complicity, and its interconnectedness with the economy. The problem is criminal governance, not terrorism.
We must put an end to the “war on drugs,” strengthen controls over financial flows, and guarantee independent investigations. If local authorities don’t ensure access to justice and accountability, the international community must step in to prevent impunity.
We urge the CND to work alongside States to issue recommendations to limit the use of military tools in addressing these problems and to restrict states of exception under the guise of “narco-terrorism.”
We call on States to refrain from using the counter-terrorism narrative when addressing organized crime, and to develop comprehensive policies with a particular focus on the most vulnerable communities, without turning them into war zones.
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Centro de Estudios Legales y Sociales (CELS)
CEA Justicia Social Elementa
IDPC
WOLA
Instituto Ria MUCD
Amnesty International
Dejusticia