Gold, drugs and violence: The Aragua Train Venezuela’s Mining Arc
The Aragua Train extended its criminal control to strategic areas of Venezuela, such as the Orinoco mining arc, where it imposed itself as the de facto authority. Ronna Rísquez describes what she found in the state of Bolívar.
Organized Crime is Destroying the Amazon. This is How.
The uncontrolled expansion of cattle ranching and agriculture are some of the reasons behind the destruction of the Amazon. But they are not the only ones. Powerful criminal organizations have extended their control over the most biodiverse area on the planet, polluting the environment and subjugating local communities. This is how they do it.
Pamela Huerta: ‘Drug Traffickers Have the Upper Hand”
Coca leaf cultivation increased by 18 percent between 2021 and 2022 in Peru, mainly around Amazon borderlands. We spoke to journalist Pamela Huerta about the impact this has had on local communities and on the environment.
Bram Ebus: ‘Organized crime uses the Amazon to expand’
We spoke with Bram Ebus, journalist and leader of Amazon Underworld, an investigative project that explores the criminal dynamics in the area, as well as their impact on the environment and its inhabitants.
Extortion in Uniform: Caught Between Violent Gangs and Corrupt Police in Venezuela’s Cota 905
In 2021, one of Caracas’s most marginalized neighbourhoods was the scene of an unprecedented intervention by state security forces to tackle a notorious criminal gang that had controlled the area for nearly seven years. People living in Cota 905 now say the police is targeting them for money.
Cocaine: A Fascinating, and Complex, History
It has been adored, reviled, analysed ad infinitum and the focus of endless international debate. Few substances have such a long and fascinating history as cocaine, and such an impact on the world. Here are some of the most relevant events to understand its long life.
Cocaine: All you Need to Know
It is an anaesthetic and appetite suppressant, capable of providing bursts of energy. It is also dangerously addictive, with potentially deadly side effects. Governments have been trying to curb its use for decades, but its production and use is steadily increasing. Here’s everything you need to know about cocaine.
Ecuador: Journalists on the front line and without protection
The murder of three reporters in 2018 marked a milestone in the escalation of crime in Ecuador. Five years later, violence at the hands of criminal organizations and a lack of government protection are pushing many to self-censor or leave the country, creating serious information gaps. These are their stories.
Ecuador Violence: What is Happening – and Why
Ecuador has gone from being one of the most peaceful countries in the Americas, to having one of the highest homicides rates in the region. Why is this happening? Some of the reasons include a reconfiguration of the global illicit drug market and changes in local criminal dynamics. Here’s what you need to know.
Claudia Cardona: ‘Every Sentence is a Life Sentence’
In Colombia, one out of every three women deprived of their liberty was accused of crimes related to drug trafficking. Their situation doesn’t always improve when they are released from prison.
Baz Dreisinger: ‘Prisons don’t make sense’
Baz Dreisinger, journalist and author of Incarceration Nations, argues that prisons fail to halt crime, and proposes alternative models of justice.
Coletta Youngers: ‘Drug Policies Punish Women’
Marginalized women make up for the fastest- growing prison population in Latin America, most held on non-violent drug trafficking charges. We spoke with Coletta Youngers about this silent crisis.
