Welcome to InSight Crime’s Criminal  GameChangers 2021, where we highlight the most important trends in organized crime in the Americas over the course of the year.
This year saw criminal upheaval in the Andes, troubling connections between organized crime and ecological destruction, especially in the Amazon basin, and an explosion of synthetic drugs coming from Mexico. All amid a backdrop of corruption, the undermining of democracy and the continuing COVID-19 pandemic.
Explore the rest of our annual GameChangers series here.
Investigation Chapters
GameChangers 2021: COVID Chaos, Corruption, Deforestation and Synthetic Drugs
Welcome to InSight Crime’s Criminal  GameChangers 2021, where we highlight the most important trends in organized crime in the Americas over the course of the year.
GameChangers 2021: How IUU Fishing Plundered Latin America’s Oceans
A spree of illegal fishing occurred across Latin America this past year, much of it driven by competition for diminishing catch.
GameChangers 2021: No End in Sight for Ecuador’s Downward Spiral
Ecuador’s descent into violence followed a common path: more cocaine led to more cash and more weapons for the gangs. But it happened faster than anywhere else.
GameChangers 2021: How Organized Crime Devoured the Amazon Rainforest
There was record destruction of the Amazon in 2020, as the rainforest lost an area around the size of Belize, and the situation looks to be even bleaker in 2021. Deforestation reached record levels in Brazil, Peru and Bolivia.
GameChangers 2021: Barbecue, Gangs and Political Power in Haiti
Jimmy Chérizier, alias “Barbecue,” is a complicated individual. For some, he’s a Robin-Hood figure. For others, he’s a former police officer implicated in one of Haiti’s worst massacres.
GameChangers 2021: US Losing War on Corruption in Central America
The United States, under the Biden administration, was supposed to help curb corruption, but for corrupt officials in Central America, life has rarely looked better.
GameChangers 2021: Long on Criminality, Short on Democracy in Year to Come
Prediction of the criminal dynamics for 2022 is even harder than most years, as it involves predicting the march of coronavirus. Organized crime does not exist in a bubble.
