Murders have spiked in a northern Colombia town that borders Venezuela, is home to armed groups, and has an abundance of coca -- an explosive combination.
The Colombian government has been lauding the success of its stringent targets for the eradication of coca crops nationwide, but with replanting rates estimated at up to 67 percent, the…
A recent report on child labor in the municipality of Tumaco has shed light on why children and young people around Colombia find themselves cornered into participating in coca cultivation…
A spike in coca crops around a national park along the Bolivia-Peru border has accompanied a recent population boom and disintegrating security in the region, as well as a shift…
Peruvian authorities managed to identify close to 20 methods for hiding illegal chemical components being sent to criminal groups in the VRAEM, the country’s top cocaine-producing region.
Violent tensions are flaring in Bolivia's capital between hostile factions of one of the country's coca growers’ unions, escalating a long-simmering conflict for control of legal coca production in the…
A new UN study shows that while Colombia saw a slight drop in coca crop plantations between 2017 and 2018, this has not a knock-on impact on cocaine production, which…
The unveiling of a plan to protect community leaders involved in Colombia’s voluntary coca crop substitution program is not likely to alleviate security concerns, given the recent killings of such…
The south of Putumayo has re-emerged as Colombia’s second-largest coca producing center, following a period of demobilizations and crop substitutions that had led to a decrease in coca production. …
New US figures showing a tiny drop in Colombia’s drug cultivation over the last year are being hailed as evidence that a hardline crackdown is working, ignoring a more complex…
Dozens of gas stations in Colombia are under investigation for allegedly selling vast quantities of fuel to criminal groups to be used in coca paste processing, revealing how rural businesses…
Authorities have arrested two prominent drug traffickers in Peru’s largest coca-producing region in recent months, but the dentitions alone are unlikely to help remedy the country’s shortcomings in combating coca…
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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