What Happened When Guatemala’s Interior Ministry Tried to Fire 102 Prison Guards It Accused of Corruption?
In June 2024, Guatemala’s Interior Ministry filed a legal complaint with the Attorney General’s Office against 102 prison guards it…
Arévalo’s Budget Increase: Is the Guatemalan Government’s Search for Congressional Support Fueling Local Corruption?
In early May 2024, Guatemalan Finance Minister Jonathan Menkos submitted a proposal to Congress to increase the national budget by…
President Arévalo’s Counterproductive Stand-Off With Guatemala’s Attorney General
The viability of Arévalo’s anti-corruption agenda may rest on whether the president succeeds in removing Attorney General Consuelo Porras, whose…
The Prison Mafias: Ecuador’s Criminal Axis
Organized crime in Ecuador today operates on several levels. At the upper echelons are the drug traffickers who control Ecuador’s…
The Evolution of Ecuador’s Prison Crisis
Over the last five years, Ecuador has been engulfed in violence and a criminal chaos unprecedented in its modern history.…
Ecuador’s Prison Business
The moment a person enters Ecuador’s prison system, they become a resource to be exploited by organized crime and corrupt…
The Rise and Fall of El Negro Willy, Ecuador’s Prison-Guard Mafia Boss
The first sign that armed gang members had invaded a TV station in Guayaquil came when two masked youths appeared…
The Rise and Fall of Washo, Durán’s Criminal Puppetmaster
In the early hours of August 14, Ecuador’s police and prosecutors deployed one of the most significant security operations of…
The Anatomy of Violence in Durán
Homicides, many of them in public areas and with firearms, are a manifestation of increasing conflict between criminal groups in…
From Gangs to Gatekeepers: Criminal Capital in Durán
Durán’s street gangs are vilified for their current role in violence and criminality in the municipality, but their relationship with…