Alejandra Freire: ‘Drug trafficking could not thrive without effective money laundering systems in place’
Money laundering, a key element of drug trafficking, often goes unnoticed, as does the role played by women in these operations. Alejandra Freire Explains.
Sabrina Calandrón: ‘For every registered arm there are at least two or three that are not registered’
Arms trafficking powers all illegal markets in Latin America. Sabrina Calandrón analyses the effectiveness of policies to tackle it.
Karla Salazar Sánchez: ‘We must work to prevent women from ending up in prison and help them once they get out’
The director of FLACSO Costa Rica, Karla Salazar Sánchez, reflects on why women commit crimes and how the prison system fails them.
Carolina Sampó: ‘Society finds it hard to believe that a woman can lead a criminal organisation’
The analysis of the role of women in criminal organisations is permeated by stereotypes. Researcher Carolina Sampó reflects on how these impact on the way in which governments develop their approaches.
Douglas Farah: ‘Latin America is headed for a very difficult period’
Investigative journalist Douglas Farah reflects on the evolution of crime, violence and the potential future scenarios in Latin America.
Camila Grigera Naón: ‘Women are a “blind spot” for the Argentinean justice system’
A new report revealed the problems behind the implementation of judicial reform to address drug trafficking cases in Argentina.
Rosana Gambacorta: They are not ‘narcos’, they are cold and hungry
For 30 years, Rosana Gambacorta has been defending vulnerable youth with a few grams of drugs in Rosario, Argentina. She says prison exacerbates the problem.
John Walsh: ‘The fentanyl crisis encapsulates the horrors of the prohibition regime’
As illicit drug use and the some of the risks associated with it rise around the world, alternative approaches to public policy, including those that focus on harm reduction rather than criminalisation, are gaining momentum. We spoke to John Walsh about what this means and what might come next.
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.
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.
