Weekly InSight
This week, InSight Crime previews 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 in homicides in 2023.

We also travel to Lara, Venezuela, where colectivos -- citizen militia groups that suppress opposition to the Maduro regime -- control 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 regional arms trafficking dynamics amid a slate of new anti-trafficking actions by international authorities and Caribbean leaders.

Featured

Corruption Takes Center Stage in Paraguay Presidential Election

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 >

NewsAnalysis

Cocaine and Marijuana Fuel Ever-Higher Homicides in Costa Rica


Drugs gangs battling over control of Costa Rica’s cocaine trafficking infrastructure and the domestic marijuana market are fueling an...

In Lara, Venezuela, Criminal 'Colectivos' Control Public Services


“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
The Fraudsters: Venezuela’s Organized Crime Vultures

Impact

InSight Crime Cited in OAS, CARICOM Reports

 
This week, InSight Crime’s work was cited nine times in a new report 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,” as well as our analysis “The Two Deaths of Agent Sherill Hernández in Honduras.”

Read our coverage of gender and crime >

Our work on arms trafficking was also cited twice in a report on firearms in the Caribbean by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Small Arms Survey. 

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

Browse by country >

Central General Staff

The Central General Staff (Estado Mayor Central - EMC) is the governing body of a group of factions...

Juárez Cartel

The Juárez Cartel is responsible for smuggling tons of narcotics from Mexico into the United States throughout its long...

Media Mentions
APRIL 19, 2023
AMERICA'S QUARTERLY
"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."

Our Trending Topics 
ARMS TRAFFICKING
EXTORTION
PARAGUAY
ELITES AND CRIME
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
DONATE TODAY
Facebook InSight Crime
Twitter InSight Crime
LinkedIn InSight Crime
 


InSight Crime is sponsored by:
American University
Open Society Foundations
The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency

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    update subscription preferences 






This email was sent to [email protected]
why did I get this?    unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences
InSight Crime · Medellin · Medellin 0000 · Colombia