Argentina steps up security to fight drug violence in Rosario | REUTERS

Argentina's federal security forces will be deployed to Rosario and Santa Fe in response to a recent upsurge in violence, including the death of four innocent people and new threats. On Monday, Security Minister Patricia Bulrich and Santa Fe Governor Maximiliano Pueyro announced details of a crisis committee set up by the government. They said troops from four federal forces will begin arriving to combat what they're calling narco-terrorism. Rosario had one of the highest homicide rates in the country in 2023, as criminal gangs fight for drug trafficking territory. Locals said the current situation is not sustainable. Drug trafficking is adrift of anything. There is no justice here, and there is absolutely nothing here. In my house, they shot a guy who was working, putting up a security wire, because I'm tired of being robbed, and criminals shot him 13 times, 13 times. He was saved by a miracle, because the gate is made of iron, and the shots hit the gate. You can't live like this. Bulrich said an anti-gang law would be sent to Congress, likening it to Italy's anti-mafia penal code, among others. She also said she will ask the courts to use Argentina's anti-terrorist law. Last week, Santa Fe's government released images of prisoners with their hands tied behind their backs. The move harkens to the hardline approach of El Salvador, which drew both criticism and praise.