Tiziano Breda is a Latin America & the Caribbean Senior Analyst at ACLED and has been with the organization since January 2024. In this role, he contributes to the analysis of conflict, demonstration, and political violence patterns in Latin America. Prior to joining ACLED, he spent over seven years carrying out research on Latin American politics and security for the International Crisis Group and IAI, five of which living in Colombia and Guatemala. Tiziano holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the University of Padua and a Master’s Degree in International Relations from the University of Bolonia, Campus Forlì, enriched by conflict resolution studies at the Johns Hopkins University (SAIS) and the Universidad Nacional de Colombia.
Spoken languages: Italian, English and Spanish Timezone: Central European Time - CET
Gangs have resorted less to public displays of violence during the state of exception, but their presence in urban areas has not been dented, while organized crime groups have expanded their activities in rural areas.
An operation against the CV gang killed at least 121 people in Rio de Janeiro, gangs expanded across multiple areas in Artibonite, Haiti, and US strikes on vessels in the Pacific fueled diplomatic tensions.
In July, the Los Choneros leader’s arrest in Manabí, Ecuador, triggered a deadly dispute, the government in Trinidad and Tobago imposed a new state of emergency, and artisanal miners in Peru mobilized to demand formalization.
The dispute between Evo Morales and current President Luis Arce has triggered deadly violence in defense of Morales’ cause, which signals the power of his supporters to question the legitimacy of an election that excludes the former president.
In June, a Supreme Court ruling against former Argentine President Fernández de Kirchner sparked protests, clashes between Evo Morales supporters and security forces in Bolivia turn deadly, and fears of political violence ahead of elections were reignited.
This Special Election Series explores the drivers of violence targeting political figures in Mexico at the subnational levels during the 2024 electoral cycle.
In May 2025, inter- and intra-gang disputes drove an uptick in violence in the Guatemala department, violence targeting politicians intensifies in Veracruz state and Mexico City, Mexico, and gang violence in Haiti declines in frequency but increases in lethality.
Ecuador struggles with gang violence and political challenges amid efforts to control and combat illicit activities.
Watch the recorded webinar for a deep dive on the new data with Senior Methodology Officer, Rose Davies, the findings of our analysis with Tiziano Breda, expert insights from the Director of the Ecuadorian Observatory of Organized Crime, Renato Rivera, and moderated by ACLED Senior Analyst for Latin America & the Caribbean, Sandra Pellegrini.