Lawyers for El Salvador Businessman Deny US Allegations, Attack Journalist
The lawyers for José Enrique Rais, a prominent El Salvador businessman who US authorities tied to suspected drug planes seized in Martin County, Florida, responded to allegations of wrongdoing of…
Honduras Elites and Organized Crime: Introduction
Honduras is currently one of the most violent countries on the planet that is not at war. The violence is carried out by transnational criminal organizations, local drug trafficking groups,…
Honduras Elites and Organized Crime: The Cachiros
As it tends to happen in Honduras, the news began as a well-heeled rumor: Javier Rivera Maradiaga, the oldest of the three Rivera Maradiaga brothers still alive and leader of…
Honduras Elites and Organized Crime: Juan Ramón Matta Ballesteros
On the morning of April 5, 1988, Juan Ramón Matta Ballesteros left his palatial Tegucigalpa estate for a jog. Matta Ballesteros was wanted for murder, drug trafficking and other crimes…
Report: Mexico Assumes Role of Turning Migrant Children Back
Human Rights Watch has chronicled violent drivers of the continuing child migration crisis, as well as how the US government has stealthily outsourced to Mexico the job of returning…
Ex-Honduras President Lobo Confronts Rumors About Him, Family
Former Honduras President Porfirio Lobo denied rumors that he had turned himself in to United States authorities or was facing extradition from Honduras to face charges of drug trafficking in…
Guatemala's CICIG: An Experiment in Motion Gets a Report Card
Two recent reports on Guatemala's CICIG illustrate the international's body's potential to affect powerful shifts in the status quo, as well as its broad limitations.
Elites and Organized Crime: Methodology
This study focuses on four countries: Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Colombia. Each presents different challenges and opportunities for research, and makes its own contribution to our snapshot of elite groups…
Elites and Organized Crime: Introduction
Organized crime and the violence associated with it is the preeminent problem in Latin America and the Caribbean today. The region is currently home to six of the most violent…
Elites and Organized Crime: Conceptual Framework - Organized Crime
This project defines organized crime as: a structured group of people that associate on a regular and prolonged basis to benefit from illicit activities and illegal markets. This group can…
Elites and Organized Crime: Conceptual Framework - Elites
This InSight Crime project defines elites as: specific groups of people with a privileged position that allows them to control, direct or greatly influence the dynamics of community life in…
Elites and Organized Crime: Preface
Organized crime is not an abstract concept for me. I grew up in Oak Park, a leafy suburb of Chicago with a population of about 60,000. In general, it was…
About InSight Crime
Venezuela Coverage Continues to be Highlighted
This week, InSight Crime co-director Jeremy McDermott was the featured guest on the Americas Quarterly podcast, where he provided an expert overview of the changing dynamics…
Venezuela's Organized Crime Top 10 Attracts Attention
Last week, InSight Crime published its ranking of Venezuela’s ten organized crime groups to accompany the launch of the Venezuela Organized Crime Observatory. Read…
InSight Crime on El País Podcast
This week, InSight Crime co-founder, Jeremy McDermott, was among experts featured in an El País podcast on the progress of Colombia’s nascent peace process.
InSight Crime Interviewed by Associated Press
This week, InSight Crime’s Co-director Jeremy McDermott was interviewed by the Associated Press on developments in Haiti as the country continues its prolonged collapse. McDermott’s words were republished around the world,…
Escaping Barrio 18
Last week, InSight Crime published an investigation charting the story of Desafío, a 28-year-old Barrio 18 gang member who is desperate to escape gang life. But there’s one problem: he’s…
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