Weekly InSight
April 28, 2023 ([link removed])

View in your browser ([link removed])
This week, InSight Crime previews ([link removed]) the April 30 Paraguayan presidential elections. The winner will face an uphill battle against political corruption and the country’s increasingly entrenched criminal organizations.

Turning to Costa Rica, we explore how the international cocaine and domestic marijuana trades have fueled the country's sharp rise ([link removed]) in homicides in 2023.

We also travel to Lara, Venezuela, where colectivos -- citizen militia groups that suppress opposition to the Maduro regime -- control ([link removed]) everything from apartment rentals to water distribution. Rather than support communities as was their original charge, the colectivos have turned into extortionists, acting at the expense of the population.

Lastly, we spoke with author Ioan Grillo to discuss ([link removed]) regional arms trafficking dynamics amid a slate of new anti-trafficking actions by international authorities and Caribbean leaders.


** Featured
------------------------------------------------------------
[link removed]


** Corruption Takes Center Stage in Paraguay Presidential Election ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------

Paraguay's long struggle against corruption has become a major theme of the presidential elections set for April 30, with leading candidates proposing starkly different approaches to the issue.

The leading candidate, Efraín Alegre, has capitalized on corruption scandals implicating the political party of his main opponent, Santiago Peña.

Read the analysis > ([link removed])


** NewsAnalysis
------------------------------------------------------------
All News ([link removed]) >
[link removed]


** Cocaine and Marijuana Fuel Ever-Higher Homicides in Costa Rica ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
Drugs gangs battling over control of Costa Rica’s cocaine trafficking infrastructure and the domestic marijuana market are fueling an...

[link removed]


** In Lara, Venezuela, Criminal 'Colectivos' Control Public Services ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
“They keep an eye on the transportation and the water. When something is damaged, they work with officials and fix it. They...

Across the Americas, Governments Aim to Rein in Flow of Guns ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
The Fraudsters: Venezuela’s Organized Crime Vultures ([link removed])


** Impact
------------------------------------------------------------
What We Do ([link removed])


** InSight Crime Cited in OAS, CARICOM Reports
------------------------------------------------------------

This week, InSight Crime’s work was cited nine times in a new report ([link removed]) by the Organization of American States (OAS) titled “The Impact of Organized Crime on Women, Girls and Adolescents.”

The report used our investigation “Women and Organized Crime in Latin America: Beyond Victims and Victimizers ([link removed]) ,” as well as our analysis “The Two Deaths of Agent Sherill Hernández in Honduras ([link removed]) .”

Read our coverage of gender and crime > ([link removed])

Our work on arms trafficking ([link removed]) was also cited twice in a report ([link removed]) on firearms in the Caribbean by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Small Arms Survey.
Read our coverage of the Caribbean > ([link removed])


** Criminal Actors
------------------------------------------------------------
Profiles of some of the notable criminal personalities and groups that have marked this week.

Browse by country > ([link removed])
[link removed]


** Central General Staff ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
The Central General Staff (Estado Mayor Central - EMC) is the governing body of a group of factions...
[link removed]


** Juárez Cartel ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
The Juárez Cartel is responsible for smuggling tons of narcotics from Mexico into the United States throughout its long...


** Media Mentions
------------------------------------------------------------
About Us ([link removed])
APRIL 19, 2023
AMERICA'S QUARTERLY ([link removed])

[link removed]
"There has been a rise in homicide in recent years. InSight Crime recently noted that, according to government data, there were almost 3,000 homicides registered in Guatemala last year, almost a six percent rise from the previous year."
Read InSight Crime's 2022 Homicide Round-Up > ([link removed])


** Our Trending Topics
------------------------------------------------------------
Browse by Country ([link removed])
ARMS TRAFFICKING ([link removed])
EXTORTION ([link removed])
PARAGUAY ([link removed])
ELITES AND CRIME ([link removed])

============================================================
We go into the field to interview, report and investigate. We then verify, write and edit, providing the tools to generate real impact in fighting organized crime.
** SUPPORT OUR WORK ([link removed])
** DONATE TODAY ([link removed])
** Facebook InSight Crime ([link removed])
** Twitter InSight Crime ([link removed])
** LinkedIn InSight Crime ([link removed])
** Subscribe ([link removed])
** View past issues ([link removed])

InSight Crime is sponsored by:
** American University ([link removed])

** Open Society Foundations ([link removed])

** The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency ([link removed])
Copyright © 2021 InSight Crime, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you have signed up to receive InSight Crime's top weekly content.
** unsubscribe from this list ([link removed])
** update subscription preferences ([link removed])

This email was sent to [email protected] (mailto:[email protected])
why did I get this? ([link removed]) unsubscribe from this list ([link removed]) update subscription preferences ([link removed])
InSight Crime . Medellin . Medellin 0000 . Colombia