Welcome to InSight Crime’s GameChangers 2017, where we highlight the most important trends in organized crime in the Americas over the course of the year. 2017 was the year when some of the more corrupt regimes struck back, undermining investigations against them and even democracy itself, solidifying their grip on power. Throughout the region, the criminal landscape fragmented further. Even the largest criminal groups now work more as federations than vertically integrated structures. Amidst it all, the US government moved from bold backer of anti-corruption and anti-crime efforts to a disinterested, disengaged party, often enabling reactionary and corrupt forces.
Explore the rest of our annual GameChangers series here.
Series Chapters
GameChangers 2017: The Empire Strikes Back
Welcome to InSight Crime’s GameChangers 2017, where we highlight this year’s biggest trends for organized crime in the Americas.
GameChangers 2017: Colombia’s Cocaine Explosion Stokes Political and Social Crises
Cocaine is one of the world’s most in-demand drugs. Its production center is in the Andean region of Colombia, Peru and Bolivia, where hundreds of tons of white powder are produced and shipped to consumer markets around the world every…
GameChangers 2017: Trump Battles MS13 With Lies, Half-Truths and Recycled Policies
When US President Donald Trump put the MS13 gang at the center of his domestic security narrative this year, he equated the threat posed by the group to that of Mexico’s powerful drug cartels. The scene of his speech…
GameChangers 2017: Trump Stumbles on Latin America Security
President Donald Trump’s approach to US security policy in Latin America has failed during his first year in office.
GameChangers 2017: Government and Gangs Battle for Brazil
A new war between Brazil’s two biggest crime groups has contributed to escalating violence across the country, which authorities are struggling to contain due to flawed crime control policies as well as ongoing political and economic uncertainty. Deepening insecurity in…
GameChangers 2017: Drug Trade Dynamics Shape Latin America’s Criminal Landscape
Latin America’s crime landscape continued to evolve this year, driven by record production of cocaine in South America.
GameChangers 2017: The Long Road to Prison Reform in Latin America
In 2017, InSight Crime focused on how Latin American prisons interact act as operational centers for crime groups.
GameChangers 2017: Local Politics, Organized Crime’s New Power Base in Latin America
Reporting by InSight Crime in 2017 revealed how organized crime managed to infiltrate local politics in Latin America as well as the multiple ways in which criminal groups take advantage of this new form of political capital to futher their…
GameChangers 2017: Venezuela’s Maduro Administration Strengthens Criminal Ties
Venezuela’s role as a hotbed for organized crime in the Americas has deepened this year. The country’s political, economic and social crises have fueled crime and strengthened illegal economies, while international sanctions against government officials including President Nicolás Maduro have…
GameChangers 2017: Anti-Corruption Successes Fuel Elite Backlash
Corruption scandals have continued at a dizzying pace across Latin America in 2017, spanning politics, business and security forces.
GameChangers 2017: Is Colombia’s FARC Really Gone?
Has Colombia’s FARC really left the country’s criminal scene? Yes, and absolutely not. The rebel army is gone, and has become a political party. The FARC Mafia is just coming into being.
GameChangers 2017: What to Watch for in 2018
Organized crime thrives amid political corruption and uncertainty. Unfortunately, there will be plenty of this in 2018.
