Digging Into a Toxic Trade: Illegal Mining in Amazon Tri-Border Regions
Illegal mining is by far the most widespread and insidious environmental crime occurring in the Amazon’s tri-border regions. In the…
Monagas: The Missing Link for Venezuela Drug Traffickers
Venezuela’s northeastern state of Monagas has shot up in the country’s drug seizure rankings in 2023, a sign traffickers may…
Kidnappings Surge in Colombia Amid ELN Peace Negotiations
Kidnappings are rising across Colombia, despite President Gustavo Petro’s administration gearing up for peace negotiations with the country’s last remaining…
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…
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…
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…
The Tancol: Venezuela’s Phantom Enemy
In Venezuela, the government is literally fighting a ghost. In mid-2021, a mysterious new criminal actor appeared in Venezuela. It…
Humanitarian Aid Blocked by Armed Groups in Colombia
Armed groups are obstructing humanitarian organizations’ access to several parts of Colombia, possibly to suppress reports of human rights violations…
3 Takeaways From UNICEF Report on Child Recruitment in Colombia
A new study has revealed how Colombia’s armed groups have changed tactics around child recruitment. The study, jointly carried out…