|
|
|
|
Dear Subscriber,
InSight Crime is pleased to present the release of its annual end-of-year Criminal GameChangers series, to be released in six chapters from Dec. 22 to 29.
|
|
|
This has been a year of upheaval in the criminal landscape across Latin America and the Caribbean. InSight Crime has traveled across the region to study these changes.
At the US-Mexico border and across the Atlantic in Europe, the economics of drug trafficking have been transformed by unprecedented fentanyl and cocaine flows. In Colombia, a new president seeks dialogue with armed groups, but in neighboring Venezuela, the government seeks to tame them. And in El Salvador, a crackdown on criminal gangs, of unprecedented scope and speed, could set a new benchmark for responses by security forces.
|
|
|
AVAILABLE NOW
‘Pink Cocaine,’ Cross-Border Battles, and the Frustrating Fight Against Mafia States
With the COVID-19 pandemic in the rear-view mirror, Latin America’s criminal groups searched for a new normal in 2022. But with synthetic drugs ever more popular, foreign mafias entering Latin America in greater numbers, and states of emergency becoming normalized, what might that look like?
|
|
AVAILABLE ON DECEMBER 23
How the Chapitos Became Hyper-Capitalist Narcos
El Chapo’s Sinaloa Cartel risks being split up by warring factions. The strongest among these is led by four of his sons, known as the Chapitos, who have carved out their own drug trafficking empire, run with flair and for maximum profit. For their unity, their social media presence, and their expansion, the Chapitos were named InSight Crime’s Criminal Winner for 2022.
|
|
|
AVAILABLE ON DECEMBER 26
El Salvador's Gang Crackdown Has Steep Human Rights Cost
Around 60,000 alleged gang members have been jailed in El Salvador. Whether all of them are guilty or dangerous seems irrelevant to President Nayib Bukele. Homicides are down. Extortion is down. The people seem content. Consequences be damned.
|
|
AVAILABLE ON DECEMBER 27
Maduro Seeks to Be Venezuela’s Criminal Kingmaker
President Nicolás Maduro has strengthened his hand. From once having to tolerate incursions by armed groups crossing the border from Colombia, he is now the regulator of criminal economies nationwide, achieved through scheming, corruption, and brute displays of power.
|
|
|
AVAILABLE ON DECEMBER 28
Could 'Total Peace' Lead to Disarmament of Colombia's Armed Groups?
Colombia is engaging in what may be the most ambitious peace plan in recent Latin American history. Around 20 armed gangs and guerrilla groups, large and small, have been invited to negotiate with the government. It may well fail. The logistics required to pull this off are staggering. But there is still hope.
|
|
AVAILABLE ON DECEMBER 29
Drug Bonanza Amid Prohibition Challenges in 2023
The production and trafficking of cocaine and synthetic drugs are at an all-time high with market demand keeping pace. And just as criminal gangs rake in the cash, governments of crucial Latin American countries are breaking step with Washington, lambasting decades of often counter-productive efforts. How will all this play out in 2023?
|
|
Our GameChangers series serves as a look-back to the pivotal criminal moments in Latin America and the Caribbean. But that is just part of what we do. In 2022, InSight Crime published more in-depth investigations than in any other previous year. From Venezuela’s cocaine revolution to the collapse of illegal marijuana, and from the pillaging of the Amazon to the plundering of the oceans, read InSight Crime’s full investigative work here.
Regards,
The InSight Crime Team
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
