Dear Reader,
In our annual Criminal GameChangers series our investigators broke down the biggest stories from across the region in 2023, highlighting how criminal groups turned political chaos to their advantage throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.
Now, as we wrap up the first month of 2024, these stories are even more relevant to understanding the criminal landscape that threatens citizen security across the region. In Ecuador, President Daniel Noboa declared a state of emergency, and the gangs responded with coordinated attacks and violence as seen on a live TV news broadcast.
In Guatemala, Bernardo Arévalo was sworn in as president on January 15, and he used his first speech to hammer home his priority of tackling widespread corruption. Mexico and the United States are still at odds on how to build a common front against the fentanyl crisis, and in less than 30 days, we saw major cocaine seizures that serve as examples of the huge volume of drugs trafficked daily throughout the region.
Explore our 2023 Criminal GameChangers series to gain in-depth understanding of the dynamics and actors that are shaping the criminal landscape for Latin America and the Caribbean in 2024.
