IDB Expands Financing for Security in Latin America and the Caribbean to $4 Billion

Expanded pipeline responds to the region’s demands and builds on the success of the Alliance for Security, Justice and Development

BRASILIA, Brazil, Aug. 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- At the Regional Security and Justice Summit in Brazil, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) announced a historic expansion of financing for security in Latin America and the Caribbean from its previous target of $2.5 billion to $4 billion, reinforcing its commitment to strengthen citizen security, justice, and institutions in the region.

This year, the IDB’s operational pipeline for security reached $1.42 billion, almost 60% of the three-year (2026-2028) financing target announced during last year’s summit in Argentina. This progress has exceeded expectations and reflects a growing demand from member countries seeking comprehensive responses to increasingly sophisticated security challenges. The expanded pipeline builds on the success of the Alliance for Security, Justice, and Development, launched in 2024 in Ecuador.

“Last year, we made the commitment to move the Alliance toward a new stage, with a large-scale investment in the region. Now, we are doubling down on our success to bring more security and more sustainable development to the people in the region. We also emphasized a faster and more effective response,” said IDB Group President Ilan Goldfajn.

“Organized crime brings violence and threatens the well-being of communities. But it also has profound development consequences: it discourages investment, weakens institutions, and ultimately, limits growth and job creation. Security is no longer only a matter of law enforcement. It has become one of the essential conditions for development,” Goldfajn added.

The IDB citizen security project pipeline currently spans eight countries, with operations already approved or in preparation in Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Uruguay, Guatemala, Peru, and Chile.

The pipeline of the Alliance concentrates on three pillars: preventing violence and protecting vulnerable populations; strengthening security and justice institutions; and combating illicit markets and criminal financial networks. Together, these pillars are helping countries move towards a more coordinated, evidence-based approach to addressing organized crime.

The portfolio prioritizes violence prevention, police modernization, public security, interoperability and digital transformation, justice systems, correctional systems, institutional strengthening, and responses to organized crime. In addition to its expanding scale, the Alliance has promoted more agile procedures. Its Rapid Response Task Force, launched at last year’s summit, has already supported Peru, Jamaica, Guatemala, and Brazil by providing specialized technical assistance to address urgent security and justice challenges.

To strengthen the Rapid Response Task Force, the IDB and INTERPOL, the world's largest international police network, are developing a historic collaboration across Latin America and the Caribbean.

The Alliance is successfully promoting regional initiatives

The Alliance plays a crucial role in translating regional cooperation into practical tools.

It is advancing regional public goods to strengthen cooperation across borders. Three regional initiatives highlight its success:

• Criminal-records exchange system – modeled on Europe’s system, it is now moving into a pilot phase and will allow countries to securely exchange criminal records directly across borders.
• Asset-recovery cooperation – to help countries identify, recover, manage, and return criminal assets more effectively, with the Basel Institute on Governance as a new strategic partner of the Alliance.
• Observatory on Transnational Organized Crime in South America – beginning with Chile, Colombia, and Brazil, strengthening regional analysis and cooperation against organized crime. The summit marks the launch of this regional initiative. The Alliance is also expanding collaborations with academic institutions that support training and professional development.
  
  

Brazil assumes Alliance presidency and signs MOU with the IDB

The summit also marks the transition of the Alliance’s pro tempore presidency from Argentina to Brazil, which will lead the next phase of regional cooperation.

Under Brazil’s leadership, the Alliance will continue promoting a common regional agenda focused on prevention, enforcement, justice, and institutional strengthening, while mobilizing the financial and technical resources needed to address organized crime and its impact on development across Latin America and the Caribbean.

The IDB and Brazil’s Ministry of Justice and Public Security signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen cooperation in the fight against organized crime, supporting institutional capacity in homicide investigations, arms-trafficking enforcement, asset recovery, and prison security.

About the Alliance for Security, Justice, and Development

Launched in 2024, the Alliance for Security, Justice, and Development brings together 23 member countries and 14 strategic partners to strengthen regional cooperation against organized crime, with the IDB serving as its technical secretariat. Through initiatives such as the Rapid Response Task Force, the Alliance provides countries with rapid access to specialized technical expertise to respond to urgent security and justice challenges.

About the IDB

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), a member of the IDB Group, is devoted to improving lives across Latin America and the Caribbean. Founded in 1959, the IDB works with the region’s public sector to design and enable impactful, innovative solutions for sustainable and inclusive development. Leveraging financing, technical expertise, and knowledge, it promotes growth and well-being in 26 countries.

Media Contact

Rosa Alejandra Hernandez Gomez

Communications Consultant

rosahe@iadb.org

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4d3c4f80-cc3a-45a5-8d1a-7ee519f67745