Ex-President Sentenced as Panama Makes Progress Against Impunity
Former Panamanian president Ricardo Martinelli was sentenced to 10 years in prison for money laundering, putting him closer than ever…
Guatemala’s Elections in Disarray As Corrupt Elites Cling to Power
Guatemalan judicial officials made yet another attempt to derail the presidential elections in favor of the current regime that may…
How Criminal Groups Helped Fill Venezuela’s Post-Chávez Void
When Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez succumbed to cancer in 2013, a perfect storm of crises was already looming on the…
Maduro’s Peace Defender Squads Are Anything But Peaceful
In March 2019, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro created a new wing of the Bolivarian Revolution political movement, the Peace Defender…
The Future of Venezuela’s Hybrid State
The evolution of a hybrid state in Venezuela, combining governance with criminality, has helped President Nicolás Maduro hold on to…
Rise and Fall of a Hybrid Guerrilla Group: The Bolivarian Liberation Forces
In June 2022, according to local press reports, a heavily armed unit from Venezuela’s General Directorate of Military Counterintelligence stormed…
Hybrid Governance and the Criminal Fiefdoms of Tren de Aragua
There are specific expectations for residents of San Vicente, a neighborhood in Venezuela’s central state of Aragua. Men are not…
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…
Venezuela Security Policy: Armed Groups and Electoral Interference
For the third consecutive time, Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro is seeking reelection in the elections that will take place at…
Guatemala Elites Meddle Again in Presidential Election, Suspending Results
Guatemala’s highest court has suspended the results of the presidential elections as the country’s elite corruption networks mount a last-gasp…