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…
Death of Iván Márquez Simplifies Colombia Peace Negotiations
Iván Márquez, former guerrilla commander, has reportedly died in Venezuela, with his death likely having far-reaching consequences for Colombia’s “Total…
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…
Venezuela Security Policy: Illegal Mining and Deforestation
Venezuela has the fastest-growing deforestation rate of any of the Amazon basin countries, and as in many of its neighbors,…
Venezuela Security Policy: The Criminal Exploitation of the Migrant Crisis
Over the last decade, millions of Venezuelans have fled economic collapse and political turmoil, creating what is possibly the biggest…
Theft and Corruption Hinder Venezuela’s Oil Industry
Oil production in Venezuela has recently picked up after years of decline. But increasing criminal activity around the industry hinders…
DataInSights: Latin America’s Homicide Hotspots
Brutal fights to control lucrative criminal economies have led specific provinces and cities across Latin America to have sky-high homicide…
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…