Five Security Challenges for Gustavo Petro, Colombia's Next President

Gustavo Petro will be Colombia's next president. Cocaine, Venezuela, deforestation - criminal challenges face him in droves.

Southern Colombia's Drug Dynamics in Flux With Death of Matamba

The death of Colombian drug trafficker, alias Matamba, threatens to further unsettle the criminal dynamics of Nariño.

How Colombia's Criminal Groups Are Preparing for Presidential Elections

Colombia has gone from a peaceful election in 2018 to a violent electoral process in 2022, with the increase in violence explained in part by the ongoing reconfiguration of criminal…

InSight Crime Event: Venezuela's Cocaine Revolution

InSight Crime has presented its latest report, Venezuela’s Cocaine Revolution, the result of three years of investigation by the Venezuelan Investigative Unit.

Maduro Seeks to Regulate the Cocaine Trade

In 2013, Nicolás Maduro became president of one of the world’s most important cocaine hubs, inheriting a unique drug trafficking eco-system where the line between the underworld and the state…

United They Stand, Divided They Fall - Gaitanistas Losing Grip in Colombia

Before his arrest and extradition, Otoniel, both a former guerrilla fighter and ex-paramilitary, has an unparalleled reputation in the underworld. He was once the head of Colombia’s most powerful drug…

Quibdó: The New Epicenter of Violence in Northwestern Colombia

The end of an alliance between two local gangs and possible ties to large criminal groups looking to establish control in the region, further complicate security in Quibdó, the capital…

A Cultural Occupation: The Guerrillas and the Indigenous in Venezuela's Amazon

It was 2019 when the Colombian guerrillas first arrived to the Cataniapo river basin, known as Ähuiyäru De’iyu Ręję to the region’s Indigenous Huottoja people.

Venezuela May Never Be Able to Rid Itself of Spectre of Landmines

Almost a year after the use of landmines was first reported in Venezuela, their deployment now appears a routine tactic for Colombian guerrilla groups operating in the country, especially in…

Colombia's Election Year Begins with Alarming Escalation in Violence

The recent escalation of violence perpetrated by criminal groups in Colombia could not only undermine the upcoming elections, but aggravate the complex security situation in some areas of the country.

ELN Show of Force Confirms its Unmatched Criminal Presence in Colombia

After dozens of coordinated events to paralyze portions of Colombia, ELN militants underscored that the armed group remains the country's main criminal menace and threat to security.

Despite Peace Agreement, Child Recruitment Plagues Colombia

Youth in Colombia continue to be trapped by a range of armed groups, which use everything from bribery to death threats to get them into their ranks, a new report…