Featured

While unrest gripped much of Latin America in 2019, it was the coronavirus that took center stage and ripped through the region in 2020, upending everything from commercial trade to the operations of local gangs and transnational criminal organizations.

It’s too early to tell with any degree of certainty how exactly the pandemic may have impacted levels of violence, but there were notable developments, including significant reductions in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Venezuela, historically some of the most homicidal nations in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Read the Analysis >

On Tuesday, February 2nd, InSight Crime kicks off its first online seminar resulting from our two-year investigation into cross-border criminal dynamics in  the Southern Cone’s Tri-Border Area -- where Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil converge -- and in the Northern Triangle countries of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras.We begin with Guatemala, profiling its criminal groups and activities -- such as cocaine, arms and people trafficking -- through an online dashboard mapping tool created by InSight Crime. Co-director Steven Dudley, along with InSight Crime investigators, will walk participants through the dashboard, taking an in-depth look at how transnational crime impacts a country through which drugs routinely move on their way to the United States.

In the same seminar, InSight Crime will present results of a deep-dive investigation from the Guatemalan Pacific, telling the story of Moyuta, Jutiapa, a town rocked by violent feuds between rival drug-trafficking families.

The discussion will be moderated by Marielos Monzón, coordinator of the Ciclos de Actualización para Periodistas, a Guatemala-based program that provides journalists with workshops to hone their skills. The webinar begins at 5 p.m. Central America Time, and it will be broadcast live in Spanish on YouTube and in English on Facebook.

Sign up for the event >

NewsAnalysis