Latin American mercenaries for hire in Iraq and Afghanistan

Private security companies working in Iraq and Afghanistan have their eye on Latin Americans who have high military expertise and are willing to work for far less than European and U.S. security guards. One recruiter observed that “a Peruvian in Baghdad will not panic if he has to face a blast or a blackout because he has already experienced that on the streets of Lima” yet some human rights groups and Latin American media accused private companies of exploitation. (Image via The Economist).

Update (22 August): Colombia's El Tiempo reported that 35 ex-policemen and soldiers hired to work in Iraq were "tricked" by their contractor into receiving lower pay than they were promised. El Tiempo also mentioned that the U.N. is investigating claims made by a group of Hondurans "hired as security guards in Iraq yet in reality served as soldiers." (Both links are in Spanish).

Latin America, armed conflict