Criminal Organizations
Tuesday, October 18, 2016 - 06:54
One of Colombia's most powerful criminal organizations is reportedly asking to be included in an ongoing peace process between the government and the country's main guerrilla group, a decision that may have been influenced by increased pressure from state security forces.
Monday, October 17, 2016 - 07:40
A recent academic study argues that state institutions directly contribute to Latin America's high levels of violence to a much greater extent than contemporary scholarship has suggested, potentially providing a new perspective on the best way to reduce homicides in the region.
Friday, October 14, 2016 - 07:00
A new report seems to indicate that various branches of the MS13 gang in El Salvador attempted to pool their resources in order to fund an elite unit as a response to a government crackdown on their operations.
Thursday, October 13, 2016 - 06:30
A shootout in Rio de Janeiro refocuses attention on the Brazilian city's use of police pacification units, a controversial violence reduction strategy that has produced mixed results since its implementation in 2008.
Wednesday, October 12, 2016 - 06:37
Nearly three dozen mayors, congressmen, judges, military officials and police officers in Honduras are reportedly being investigated for their connections to a drug cartel, a potentially explosive probe that could help expose the deep links between elites and organized crime in the country.
Tuesday, October 4, 2016 - 07:43
A wave of violence linked to criminal organizations has overshadowed Brazil's October 2 municipal elections, highlighting the extent of the political power attained by crime groups, of which many are composed of current and retired security forces and civilians.
Monday, October 3, 2016 - 08:31
Many of Mexico’s most violent cities are home to competing criminal groups and drug-fueled conflicts, a clear sign of how organized crime is contributing to the country's worsening security situation.
Friday, September 30, 2016 - 07:58
Prison gangs in Central America and Brazil have evolved from small predatory groups to sophisticated criminal organizations with an ability to create mayhem that extends far beyond penitentiary walls or current prevention strategies, according to this study from the Brookings Institution.
Friday, September 30, 2016 - 07:53
The gunning down of a string of candidates ahead of nationwide municipal elections this Sunday is stoking fears that Brazil's toxic politics are headed into dangerous new territory.
Friday, September 30, 2016 - 07:50
Mexico’s decade-long, military-led crackdown on drug cartels has swelled the multitudes of desaparecidos — the “disappeared” who vanish without a trace. Their ranks include many with no known link to criminal gangs — kidnapped for ransom, robbery or revenge, or caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.