This week, we cover how a gang leader’s escape from prison in Ecuador and the subsequent state response sparked a massive show of force by the country’s criminal groups. We analyze how President Daniel Noboa’s rapid militarization of the crisis without a coherent long-term plan poses major risks for Ecuador's security situation going forward.
We also report from Juárez, Mexico, where the “war on drugs” launched by President Felipe Calderón in 2006 hit especially hard. While Juárez’s violence levels have dropped since the Calderón administration, the trauma of that time period produced a generation of young people vulnerable to gang recruitment, violence, and substance addiction.
Additionally, to close out 2023, we highlight our top five criminal newsmakers of the year. Colombia’s ELN took the top place, with the guerrilla group capitalizing on the “Total Peace” policy to launch offensives against its enemies and expand criminal economies. The Sinaloa Cartel and Tren de Aragua also ranked highly on the list.
