In Venezuela, Contraband Networks Supply Rampant Wildcat Mining
An entire contraband supply chain has sprung up to keep illegal mining functioning in Venezuela’s southern Yapacana National Park, providing…
Citizen Prosperity: Wild Card Meets Status Quo
There are few better illustrations of the battle for control of the Guatemalan state than the candidacy of Carlos Pineda…
The Road to 2023: A Peek Into Guatemala’s Criminal Past
Today’s Guatemalan corrupt-criminal blocs have their origins in the country’s civil war (1960-1996). The military ruled the country during most…
Europe’s Weakest Border? Smuggling Between Suriname and French Guiana
Stuart Codrington favors the direct approach. Within five minutes of our interview starting, the Surinamese border control officer grabs his…
How Scrap Metal Became a Criminal Enterprise in Venezuela
Venezuela’s nationalization of the scrap metal industry opened the doors to a state-sponsored free-for-all, with public officials, private companies, military…
Paraguay Election Dims Chances of Corruption Crackdown
Paraguay’s president-elect Santiago Peña and his Colorado Party emerged victorious in the April 30 election, but ties to alleged corruption…
Inside the Evaporating Black Market for Gasoline in Zulia, Venezuela
The black market for gasoline is quickly disappearing in Venezuela’s oil-rich state of Zulia as changing government policies and supply…
Bolivia Passenger Buses Carry Contraband Rather Than People
Bus companies in Bolivia are eschewing carrying passengers for carrying a much more profitable cargo: contraband. Over 1,000 passenger buses…
Chile’s Copper Industry Under Siege as Robbers Attack Ports and Trains
Train robberies in the desert, cargo containers hijacked from a massive port, and tons of cathodes heading to China —…
Lake Titicaca: A Smuggler’s Paradise in Bolivia and Peru
Lake Titicaca, nestled high in the Andean mountains between Bolivia and Peru, has been many things to many people. The…