HomeNewsAnalysisWeekly InSight: Narco-Terrorism in Latin America, How Real Is the Threat?
ANALYSIS

Weekly InSight: Narco-Terrorism in Latin America, How Real Is the Threat?

ELN / 10 AUG 2017 BY INSIGHT CRIME EN

In our August 10 Facebook Live session, Senior Editor Mike LaSusa spoke with Simon Fraser University Research Associate Benoît Gomis about the myths and realities of the threat of "narco-terroism" in Latin America.

The conversation began with LaSusa asking Gomis about his analysis of the threat posed by terrorist groups like Hezbollah and the Islamic State in Latin America and the Caribbean. Gomis explained why he believes that the threat posed by these groups -- though it is real -- has often been inflated, typically for political reasons, and how this has at times distracted from more pressing security concerns.

LaSusa and Gomis also discussed the threats posed by other terrorist groups in the region -- such as the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia - FARC), the National Liberation Army (Ejército de Liberación Nacional - ELN), and Peru's Shining Path (Sendero Luminoso) -- and how militaristic policy approaches have often failed to address underlying factors sustaining these groups' activities and driving recruitment.

Watch the Facebook Live broadcast for the full conversation:

share icon icon icon

Was this content helpful?

We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.

DONATE

What are your thoughts? Click here to send InSight Crime your comments.

We encourage readers to copy and distribute our work for non-commercial purposes, with attribution to InSight Crime in the byline and links to the original at both the top and bottom of the article. Check the Creative Commons website for more details of how to share our work, and please send us an email if you use an article.

Was this content helpful?

We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.

DONATE

Related Content

COLOMBIA / 11 AUG 2022

Colombia's last remaining guerrilla group may be the linchpin to future negotiations the Colombian government is expected to enter into…

AUC / 30 AUG 2021

Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria was the pioneer in industrial-scale cocaine trafficking.

COLOMBIA / 28 JUN 2021

Convulsed by nearly eight weeks of anti-government protests, the Colombian city of Cali has also experienced a terrible surge in…

About InSight Crime

THE ORGANIZATION

Venezuela Coverage Receives Great Reception

27 MAY 2023

Several of InSight Crime’s most recent articles about Venezuela have been well received by regional media. Our article on Venezuela’s colectivos expanding beyond their political role to control access to…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime's Chemical Precursor Report Continues

19 MAY 2023

For the second week in a row, our investigation into the flow of precursor chemicals for the manufacture of synthetic drugs in Mexico has been cited by multiple regional media…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime’s Chemical Precursor Report Widely Cited

THE ORGANIZATION / 12 MAY 2023

We are proud to see that our recently published investigation into the supply chain of chemical precursors feeding Mexico’s synthetic drug production has been warmly received.

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime’s Paraguay Election Coverage Draws Attention 

5 MAY 2023

InSight Crime looked at the various anti-organized crime policies proposed by the candidates in Paraguay’s presidential election, which was won on April 30 by Santiago Peña. Our pre-election coverage was cited…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime Cited in OAS, CARICOM Reports

28 APR 2023

This week, InSight Crime’s work was cited nine times in a new report by the Organization of American States (OAS) titled “The Impact of Organized Crime on Women,…