CONVERSATIONS

A new report revealed the problems behind the implementation of judicial reform to address drug trafficking cases in Argentina.

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.

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.

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.

The last decade has seen an explosion in the number of people attempting to cross the Darien Gap, as they flee poverty and violence.

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.

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.

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.

Expert Glaeldys González Calanche sheds light on the complex criminal puzzle that Ecuador has become. She reflects on the impact of the penitentiary crisis, the rise of drug trafficking and the endemic corruption that has shaken a country once considered ‘the island of peace’.

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.

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.

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.