After a spate of homicides in Uruguay, there is growing concern that violence is connected to organized crime groups, an assessment that could be premature and lead to an ineffective policy…
A new report studying marijuana legalization in Uruguay suggests that the industry has a sustainable future despite some expected struggles, and could offer some important lessons for other Latin…
Paraguay’s main guerrilla group has displaced hundreds of Mennonite families from an area not far from strategic drug trafficking routes, raising questions about possible efforts from the group to…
A new report says authorities in Paraguay have been unable to stop a boom in marijuana production because farmers cannot earn a comparable income growing licit crops, a pattern reflected…
A network of corrupt police officials allegedly involved in a major bribery scheme in Paraguay has been dismantled, further indicating the negative effects that the country's booming marijuana industry…
Almost two years after passing legislation to legalize the growth and sale of marijuana, Uruguays government says the country is almost ready to begin commercialization. The process has been slowed…
In 2013, Uruguay took the unprecedented step of legalizing the production and use of marijuana. Yet, two years on, a commercial market is still in the project stage: not a single…
The two leading presidential candidates in Uruguay have expressed doubts about the country's landmark marijuana legalization law. Will the marijuana laws likely be scaled back, or is this simply politicking?…
The Uruguayan presidential candidate favored by drug policy reform advocates, ex-President Tabare Vazquez, has presented his rehabilitative interpretation of what marijuana regulation would look like if he wins the upcoming elections,…
When Uruguay's historic marijuana regulation law passed the Senate in December, it was a major victory for drug policy reform in Uruguay and around the world. To many analysts, the…
Nelly Santos was worriedly waiting for her son to come home after receiving a call from his school. Daniel arrived with his head lowered, his cap visor covering his face…
The long process of legalizing marijuana production in Uruguay continues to inch forward, under the watchful eye of other countries in the region considering similar measures.
About InSight Crime
Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua Becomes Truly Transnational
This week, InSight Crime published a deep dive into the total control that Venezuelan mega-gang, Tren de Aragua, has over the lives of those it smuggles between Venezuela and Chile…
Turkish Traffickers Delivering Latin American Cocaine to Persian Gulf
Last week, InSight Crime published the second half of an investigation piecing together the emerging role of Turkish cocaine traffickers in supplying Russia and the Persian Gulf, which are among…
Turkey as a Lynchpin in European Cocaine Pipeline
InSight Crime is extending its investigation into the cocaine pipeline to Europe, and tracking the growing connections between Latin American drug traffickers and European criminal organizations. This led us to…
Memo Fantasma Coverage Gets Worldwide Attention
Guillermo Acevedo, the former Colombian drug lord and paramilitary commander better known as Memo Fantasma, may soon be allowed to leave prison. Since first revealing the identity of Memo Fantasma…
Who Are Memo Fantasma and Sergio Roberto de Carvalho?
Inside the criminal career of Memo Fantasma In March 2020, InSight Crime revealed the identity and whereabouts of Memo Fantasma, a paramilitary commander and drug trafficker living in…
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