Weekly InSight
This week, InSight Crime analyzes the steep decline in ransom kidnappings in Argentina. Once a major criminal economy, particularly in Buenos Aires, ransom kidnappings are now few and far between. We compared government data on kidnappings from 2015-2023 with other crime and economic indicators to see what could be behind the shift.

We also traveled to Colombia’s Guajira Desert, where Venezuelan migrants fleeing organized criminal groups have set up a massive informal settlement on a dusty unused airstrip, known as La Pista. 

Furthermore, we assess how the indictment of a Paraguayan congressman for ties to drug trafficking could show progress in Paraguay’s anti-impunity push, while the disqualification of a candidate ahead of the Guatemala’s presidential elections is a testament to the tight grip political elites hold over the democratic process.

Featured

DataInSights: The Rise and Fall of Ransom Kidnappings in Argentina

Ransom kidnapping in Argentina reached an all-time low of only four cases in the first quarter of 2023, the culmination of a years-long trend driven by increased law enforcement coordination and economic troubles that have made the crime less profitable.

Kidnapping first earned notoriety in Argentina in the 1970s, when a number of high-profile kidnappings by guerrillas extracted record-setting ransoms. Though insurgencies faded, kidnappings continued, becoming a professionalized criminal economy around the turn of the century.

Read the analysis >

La Pista: Venezuelans Find Refuge in Colombian Desert

Maria leans on a wooden plank outside her shelter -- a collection of corrugated metal, errant bricks, and plastic tarps salvaged from the ruins of an international airport in the middle of Colombia's Guajira desert.

Maria's is one of an estimated 3,000 families that have made their homes on its abandoned runway, forming La Pista -- one of the largest informal settlements in Latin America.

Read the analysis >

NewsAnalysis

3 Takeaways From the Mexico Peace Index 2023


Organized crime groups are increasingly driving violence in Mexico’s worst affected areas, a new report has revealed. Murders related to organized crime have almost...

Paraguayan Prosecutors Indict Senator Linked to Transatlantic Cocaine Trade


Paraguayan prosecutors have indicted a congressman of the governing Colorado Party accused...
Guatemala Elites Flex Muscle, Excluding Leading Presidential Contender
Brazil's PCC Complicates Fight Against Illegal Mining in Amazon

Impact

All Eyes on Ecuador

 
Our coverage of organized crime in Ecuador continues to be a valuable resource for international and local news outlets. 

Internationally, Reuters cited our 2022 Homicide Round-Up, where we highlighted how Ecuador has one of the fastest rising homicide rates in Latin America and the Caribbean. VICE News also mentioned our work on the outflow of cocaine from Ecuador to North America and Europe. 

Read InSight Crime’s 2022 Homicide Round-Up >

Argentinian outlet Cenital and Ecuadorian newspaper Ecuavisa used our work in their coverage of Ecuador’s political crisis and the death of Junior Roldán, respectively. 

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

Browse by country >

First Capital Command - PCC

The First Capital Command (Primeiro Comando da Capital – PCC) was inspired by...

Jalisco Cartel New Generation (CJNG)

The Jalisco Cartel New Generation (Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación - CJNG)...

Media Mentions
MAY 29, 2023
FORBES





 
"On May 22, InSight Crime published this article about organized crime groups using drones to attack residents in rural communities in order to seize land and take over territory. ‘This latest round of attacks…aims to force residents to abandon towns where community-led self-defense groups have sought to resist [a criminal] group’s expansion,’ the article explains."

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InSight Crime · Medellin · Medellin 0000 · Colombia