Interpol and Latin America
The International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) connects the police forces of most countries in Latin America, Spain, and Portugal, as it does elsewhere. This article explains how the notice system works in these countries and addresses a common misunderstanding: whether Interpol can make arrests.
Can Interpol make arrests?
No. Interpol has no police officers of its own and no power to arrest anyone. It provides secure channels — including a global communications network and shared databases — through which national authorities exchange information. Each member country runs a National Central Bureau that links its police to the Interpol system. When a person is stopped or detained, it is the national authorities, acting under their own law, who do so — never Interpol itself.
The Red Notice
The best-known alert is the Red Notice (in Spanish, notificación roja; in Portuguese, difusão vermelha/alerta vermelho), a request to locate and provisionally arrest a person with a view to extradition. It is neither a conviction nor an international arrest warrant. Its legal effect depends entirely on the domestic law of the country where the person is found, which is why the same notice can lead to detention in one country and no action in another.
Article 3 and misuse
Interpol's Constitution, in Article 3, forbids any intervention in matters of a political, military, religious, or racial character. This safeguard is important in a region that has, at times, been affected by politically motivated requests originating from outside it. Human-rights bodies have documented cases in which notices were used to pursue opponents or critics, and Interpol has reinforced its review processes and the independence of its oversight body in response.
Challenging a notice
A person who believes that data held about them are inaccurate or contrary to Interpol's rules may apply to the Commission for the Control of Interpol's Files (CCF) to access, correct, or delete the data. Requests commonly rely on Article 3, the absence of a proper judicial basis, the risk of an unfair trial, recognised refugee status, or factual inaccuracy. A preventive request can also be made before travelling.
Relationship to extradition
A Red Notice is distinct from extradition, which is the formal legal process by which one country surrenders a person to another. In Latin American and Iberian legal systems, as elsewhere, extradition is governed by treaties and national law and decided by the courts and, in some countries, the executive. A person may contest the Interpol notice and resist extradition at the same time.
Practical significance
Understanding that Interpol cannot arrest, and that a notice is a request evaluated under national law, helps set realistic expectations. It also clarifies where to act: at the Interpol level through the CCF for the alert itself, and before the national authorities for any extradition question.
National Central Bureaus in the region
Each country in Latin America, together with Spain and Portugal, maintains a National Central Bureau that connects its police to the Interpol network. The NCB transmits requests to the General Secretariat and relays incoming alerts to the relevant domestic authorities. Because cooperation always passes through these national offices, the way an alert is handled — and whether it leads to any action — is determined by national law and national authorities, not by Interpol.
Extradition in the region
Extradition among Latin American and Iberian states, and between them and other countries, is governed by treaties and national law. Regional and bilateral instruments establish the conditions for surrender, and courts examine whether those conditions are met, applying safeguards such as the political-offence exception and human-rights guarantees. In several countries the executive also has a role in the final decision. A Red Notice may precede such a process by prompting a person's location and provisional arrest, but it is not a substitute for a formal extradition request.
Terminology
Terminology varies across languages, which can cause confusion. The Red Notice is referred to in Spanish as notificación roja and in Portuguese as difusão vermelha or alerta vermelho. Regardless of the term used, the underlying instrument is the same: a request circulated through Interpol, evaluated under national law, and open to challenge before the CCF.
Practical significance
For a person in Spain, Portugal, or a Latin American country who learns of an Interpol alert, the essential points are that Interpol cannot itself arrest anyone, that a Red Notice is a request evaluated under national law, and that the data can be challenged before the Commission for the Control of Interpol's Files. Because the same notice can produce different outcomes in different countries, and because its effects can arise at borders, in banking, and in immigration, addressing the alert at its source is often the most effective response. This is separate from any extradition process, which is governed by treaties and national law and decided by the courts and, in some countries, the executive. Understanding the distinction — the alert at the Interpol level, extradition at the national level — helps a person act in the right forum and set realistic expectations about what each process can achieve.
See also
References and external links
- AlertaInterpol — reference information on Interpol notices in Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking countries.
- Whether Interpol can make arrests — the question explained.
