Sergio Ortíz Borbolla: ‘There are people who wait for months in tents to cross the Darién’
The Colombian town of Necoclí is, for hundreds of thousands of people, the gateway to the Darién jungle, one of the most dangerous points on the migration route to the United States. Sergio Ortíz Borbolla, co-founder of In.Visibles, travelled to the area with a team from the Washington Office on Latin America. This is what he saw.
Pien Metaal: ‘A global consensus on drugs feels further away than ever’
While some say the “war on drugs” leads to widespread human rights violations, others claim it is the only way to combat powerful crime organisations. Meanwhile, nothing seems to be working to stop the expansion of illicit drugs, which are as popular as ever. We spoke to an expert about the present, and the future, of a complex debate.
Adam Isacson: ‘You can’t have organized crime decide how many people cross the Darien Gap’
The last decade has seen an explosion in the number of people attempting to cross the Darien Gap, as they flee poverty and violence.
Boric’s dilemma in the fight against organised crime in Chile
Homicidios a sangre fría a plena luz del día, dinámicas mafiosas, funerales narco. En poco más de una década, Chile ha pasado de ser testigo a protagonista del mapa criminal de América Latina. Pero mientras otros gobiernos de la región abordan el crimen con políticas punitivas, la administración de Gabriel Boric ensaya otras estrategias. ¿Pueden funcionar?
The Tren de Aragua behind the sexual exploitation of migrants in Latin America
Beauty contests, marketing agencies and prison visits have been some of the Tren de Aragua’s most common strategies to recruit women and girls for sexual exploitation across Latin America. A team of journalists from Colombia and Venezuela reconstructed, through intercepted audios of the mega-gang, testimonies of trafficked migrant women and statements from government officials, the way in which the crime organisation operates and its impact on vulnerable groups.
Can Sheinbaum’s security strategy in Mexico work?
Social investment, national guard and intelligence: Can Sheinbaum’s security strategy in Mexico work? Claudia Sheinbaum, Mexico’s new president, has broken the glass ceiling, there’s no doubt about that. What is less clear, however, is what will happen once the celebrations die down and the complex reality that her administration will have to address is laid […]
4 Facts About Chile’s Criminal Transformation
In little more than a decade, Chile has gone from witness to protagonist in Latin America’s criminal map. Although the authorities have responded with a raft of new laws and increases in the security budget, experts say more long-term measures are needed. Here’s all you need to know.
Pia Greene Meersohn: ‘The answer is neither jail for everyone nor jail for no one’
Chile’s criminal landscape changed dramatically since the COVID-19 pandemic. From a country where most crime was petty theft, it has shifted to one where homicides, kidnappings and shark loans, typical markets managed by organised crime groups are ever present. We explore some of the reasons behind the change in dynamics.
Organised crime is in a process of transformation
The rapid expansion of the Tren de Aragua into previously peaceful countries like Chile has raised many questions about the future of organised crime in Latin America, the world’s most violent region, and the best ways to tackle it. A former police officer and researcher explains that better diagnosis of the problems is key.
The Aragua Train is expanding in Chile. Here’s how
The Venezuelan mega-gang Tren de Aragua is the first transnational organised crime group to operate in Chile, a country experiencing a crime crisis of historic proportions. Here’s how they did it, the names behind the phenomenon and what’s to come.
Ronna Rísquez: “Regional cooperation is key to stopping groups like the Tren de Aragua”
From a prison mega-gang in Venezuela to an international organisation, the Tren de Aragua has had a unique criminal journey, even for Latin America. Investigative journalist and In.Visibles co-founder, Ronna Rísquez, reflects on the past, present and future of the group everybody is obsessed with.
Ecuador’s puzzle, explained
Ecuador faces an unprecedented security crisis, with homicide and crime rates at historic levels. While the Noboa administration’s strategy has succeeded in drastically reducing homicides, many questions have been raised about its long-term viability and effectiveness. From militarisation to marginalisation, we explore the causes, consequences and possible future of this crisis.
