Omega Research Foundation METHODOLOGY The aim of this report is to identify trends and areas of concern, rather than providing a comprehensive analysis. Countries researched include: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela. Analysis of domestic law is largely limited to trade control laws and legislative norms and regulations governing the use of force in places of detention and the policing of public protests. Other domestic sources, particularly case-law, are not included. International humanitarian law (IHL) is not discussed, as the focus is on international human rights law. This report examines equipment for law enforcement purposes rather than for private use, although there is some overlap in this regard. The instances of misuse included have been selected to provide examples involving a wide range of law enforcement equipment from as many of the countries in the region as possible. The dataset of information about companies involved in the law enforcement equipment trade on which this report draws has been maintained and updated by Omega, which has researched the global police and security equipment market since 1990. Omega carries out market surveying on a continuous basis and gathers current as well as historical market, product and trade data from a wide range of open and commercial sources. These include information from company websites and brochures; industry sector publications; government publications; company and financial information from national company registries; government- and commercially-produced trade statistics; media organisations; and credible reports and publications by NGOs and international governmental organizations (IGOs). Unless otherwise stated, data about the size, scope and evolution of the South American manufacture of law enforcement equipment is taken from Omega’s datasets. Any information, including photographs, provided in relation to specific companies is for illustrative purposes. It is not intended to infer wrong-doing on the part of these companies and no such inference should be drawn. 6