Weekly InSight
August 25, 2023 ([link removed])

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This week, InSight Crime analyzes the results ([link removed]) of Guatemala's presidential elections and the implications of the victory of Bernardo Arévalo and his party, Movimiento Semilla, for the fight against the country's corrupt political elites. It remains to be seen whether the efforts of those elites, aided by the Attorney General's Office, can impede Arévalo’s path to the presidency.

In Venezuela, we assess how food smuggled ([link removed]) from Colombia threatens to bring down the country's food and beverage industry, and question the efforts of the government in stopping ([link removed]) illegal mining in the Yapacana National Park, in the state of Amazonas where the ELN ([link removed]) and the ex-FARC Acacio Medina Front ([link removed]) enjoy beneficial connections with political figures.

In Ecuador, we explore the security policies ([link removed]) proposed by Luisa González of Movimiento Revolución Ciudadana and Daniel Noboa of Acción Democrática Nacional (ADN), the two candidates facing each other in the second round of the presidential elections, and in Colombia we chronicle the story Juan Carlos Ramírez Abadia ([link removed]) , alias “Chupeta,” whose disfigured face is as much a part of his infamy as his drug trafficking exploits.

Finally, we assess ([link removed]) the evolution of Colombia’s criminal landscape one year after President Gustavo Petro's Total Peace announcement.


** Featured
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** Guatemala’s President-Elect Still Has 1 More Hurdle to Cross ([link removed])
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An outsider candidate campaigning on an anti-corruption platform secured a landslide victory in Guatemala’s presidential election on Sunday, setting up a possible showdown between the president-elect and corrupt, political elites still clinging to power.

Centrist anti-corruption campaigner Bernardo Arévalo secured 58% of votes in the August 20 presidential run-off, comfortably defeating establishment candidate Sandra Torres (37%), who suffered her third consecutive defeat in the second round of elections.

Read the article > ([link removed])


** NewsAnalysis
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All News ([link removed]) >
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** Venezuela's Reliance on Contraband Food Risks Industry Collapse ([link removed])
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Venezuela’s agriculture and drinks industries may be on the brink of collapse, business leaders warn, as domestic producers face...

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** In Ecuador’s Elections, Social Programs Won ([link removed])
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Ecuador is headed to the second round of presidential elections with two candidates who support social measures as their primary strategy for addressing the wave of violence...

Colombia's Total Peace One Year On: Less State Violence, Stronger Criminal Groups ([link removed])
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Is Evacuation of 8,600 Venezuelan Miners Just Another Smokescreen? ([link removed])
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Is Gang Legalization Responsible for Ecuador’s Security Crisis? ([link removed])
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Changing Faces: Sinaloa Cartel’s Longtime Colombia-Connect Sentenced to Prison ([link removed])


** Impact
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What We Do ([link removed])
This week, Jeremy McDermott, co-director of InSight Crime, was interviewed by La Sexta ([link removed]) , a Spanish television channel, about the situation of extreme violence and insecurity in Ecuador during the first round of the presidential elections.

Read our analysis "4 Reasons Why Ecuador Is in a Security Crisis" > ([link removed])

In addition, Chris Dalby, editor of InSight Crime, wrote an opinion piece for Mexican newspaper El Universal ([link removed]) , where he analyzed Ecuador’s security crisis, the increase in homicides in the country, the presence of international criminal organizations in Ecuador and the role of local gangs.
Read our Ecuador coverage > ([link removed])


** This Week's Criminal Profile: Acacio Medina Front - Ex-FARC Mafia
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InSight Crime explored the Acacio Medina Front's control over illegal mining in the southern Venezuelan state of Amazonas. Their ties to political and military forces allow them to profit from multiple economic activities in the state while avoiding the reprisals of the military.
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Read our article, “Is Evacuation of 8,600 Venezuelan Miners Just Another Smokescreen?" > ([link removed])

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Read our profile of the Acacio Medina Front - Ex-FARC Mafia > ([link removed])


** Media Mentions
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About Us ([link removed])
AUGUST 24, 2023
CLIMATE HOME NEWS ([link removed])

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"Mines are controlled by armed groups, including guerrilla groups and mining gangs known as sindicatos. Investigations by InSight Crime indicate many are linked to organized crime and backed by elements of the Venezuelan state, who take a cut of the profits."
Read the cited investigation > ([link removed])


** Our Trending Topics
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GUATEMALA ([link removed])
ILLEGAL MINING ([link removed])
CONTRABAND ([link removed])
ECUADOR ([link removed])

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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.
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