In Central America’s Northern Triangle, organized crime has permeated national politics by corrupting local governments. This series presents the stories of three mayors in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, exploring the links between power, drug trafficking rings, gangs and corruption.
Electing Criminals: Municipal Power and Organized Crime in the Northern Triangle
EL SALVADOR
/
2 NOV 2017
Chapter 1
Guatemala Mayor ‘Tres Kiebres’: The Art of Being ‘3 Times Broken’
ELITES AND CRIME
/
11 OCT 2017
The atmosphere was light, almost jovial, as Ipala's Mayor Esduin Javier turned to the next item on the agenda. The issue was what the people at the municipality's monthly town…
Chapter 2
A Honduras Political Clan and Its Criminal Fiefdom
ELITES AND CRIME
/
19 OCT 2017
It was around midnight that police in a rural area of the northern department of Olancho first heard the distinctive buzz of a low-flying aircraft. Night duty officers in three…
Chapter 3
Symbiosis: Gangs and Municipal Power in Apopa, El Salvador
BARRIO 18
/
2 NOV 2017
Stories such as that of the former mayor of the El Salvador municipality of Apopa, José Elías Hernández, or "Old Timer" as the gangs knew him, are increasingly…
Related Content
EL SALVADOR
/
7 SEP 2012
The judicial forensic office in El Salvador has contradicted the governments homicide data yet again, claiming that the country has…
COLOMBIA
/
23 MAR 2016
This InSight Crime project defines elites as: specific groups of people with a privileged position that allows them to control,…
About InSight Crime
THE ORGANIZATION
Gender and Investigative Techniques Focus of Workshops
26 NOV 2021
On November 23-24, InSight Crime conducted a workshop called “How to Cover Organized Crime: Investigation Techniques and A Focus on Gender.” The session convened reporters and investigators from a dozen…
THE ORGANIZATION
InSight Crime Names Two New Board Members
19 NOV 2021
In recent weeks, InSight Crime added two new members to its board. Joy Olson is the former executive director of the Washington Office on Latin America…
THE ORGANIZATION
Senate Commission in Paraguay Cites InSight Crime
12 NOV 2021
InSight Crime’s reporting and investigations often reach the desks of diplomats, security officials and politicians. The latest example occurred in late October during a commission of Paraguay's Senate that tackled…
THE ORGANIZATION
Backing Investigative Journalism Around the Globe
5 NOV 2021
InSight Crime was a proud supporter of this year's Global Investigative Journalism Conference, which took place November 1 through November 5 and convened nearly 2,000 journalists…
THE ORGANIZATION
Tracking Dirty Money and Tren de Aragua
29 OCT 2021
InSight Crime was delighted to support investigative reporting in the Americas through a workshop with our friends at Connectas, a non-profit journalism initiative that facilitates collaboration…
#SupportFreePress
Support Our Work
Investigating organized crime is an expensive and often risky enterprise. Reaching primary sources and getting the real story involve extensive fieldwork. Please donate. Every dollar supports our mission.
DONATE NOW
Stay Informed with Weekly InSight
Get fresh updates on organized crime from across the region delivered to your inbox.
SUBSCRIBE