All About Paisas

BRIEF

Gaitanistas Fight for Control of Colombia's San Andres Island

COLOMBIA / 23 OCT 2012

The Urabeños are fighting rival drug gangs, the Paisas and the Rastrojos, for control of San Andres, a Colombian island…

COLOMBIA / 25 SEP 2012

The arrest of a leader of Colombian gang the Paisas reveals the fast-changing dynamics of the drug conflict, in which gangs change names and sides constantly in the shifting world…

COLOMBIA / 9 AUG 2011

The strategic Colombian peninsula of La Guajira, a sought after departure point for drugs heading across the Caribbean, may be up for grabs once more with the arrest of the…

PAISAS / 2 MAY 2011

The second-in-command of Colombian criminal band the Paisas has been captured, once again, by the Colombian police, reports El Colombiano. Oscar Mauricio Galvis, alias "Pantera," was first arrested…

AUC / 1 MAR 2011

Colombia President Juan Manuel Santos has been widely praised for his grand plan to return swathes of land to the country’s massive population of internal refugees, forced off their…

AUC / 22 FEB 2011

WikiLeaks is a curious, multilayered beast. On the surface, the diplomatic cables reveal "secrets." But perhaps more importantly, they give us context and meaning to government policy and, sometimes, folly.

COLOMBIA / 20 JAN 2011

Colombian authorities have announced a renewed offensive in the coastal province of Cordoba, where drug-trafficking gangs are clashing over the control of key smuggling routes to the Caribbean.

COLOMBIA PERSONALITIES / 2017-03-09 23:50:47

Angel de Jesus Pacheco Chanci, alias "Sebastian," is generally recognized as being responsible for a great deal of the mayhem that afflicted northeast Antioquia, Colombia throughout 2009…

COLOMBIA PERSONALITIES / 2016-11-07 21:08:28

A member of Colombia’s AUC, Rafael Alvarez Piñeda, alias "Chepe," demobilized in 2006, going on to lead the paramilitary successor group the Paisas, but later switched sides…

COLOMBIA PERSONALITIES / 2017-03-09 23:52:15

A former fighter in the paramilitary United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC), Cesar Augusto Torres Lujan, alias "Mono Vides," was a commander for the Paisas in Antioquia province. He died…

COLOMBIA / 22 NOV 2010

La Guajira is one of Colombia's most contentious states. Nestled along the northern coast and the Venezuelan border, the area serves as a stage, depot, production and processing point for…

AUC / 22 NOV 2010

La Guajira, the oft-forgotten, arid northeast corner of Colombia is one of Colombia’s most contentious and provides a window into the complexity of the current battles underway between organized criminal…

COLOMBIA GROUPS / 2017-03-10 03:31:38

The Paisas first emerged as a rural militia that grew out of the demobilized AUC paramilitary army, with links to the Oficina de Envigado, but later…

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Open Position: Social Media and Engagement Strategist

27 MAY 2023

InSight Crime is looking for a Social Media and Engagement Strategist who will be focused on maintaining and improving InSight Crime’s reputation and interaction with its audiences through publishing activities…

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Venezuela Coverage Receives Great Reception

27 MAY 2023

Several of InSight Crime’s most recent articles about Venezuela have been well received by regional media. Our article on Venezuela’s colectivos expanding beyond their political role to control access to…

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InSight Crime's Chemical Precursor Report Continues

19 MAY 2023

For the second week in a row, our investigation into the flow of precursor chemicals for the manufacture of synthetic drugs in Mexico has been cited by multiple regional media…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime’s Chemical Precursor Report Widely Cited

THE ORGANIZATION / 12 MAY 2023

We are proud to see that our recently published investigation into the supply chain of chemical precursors feeding Mexico’s synthetic drug production has been warmly received.

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime’s Paraguay Election Coverage Draws Attention 

5 MAY 2023

InSight Crime looked at the various anti-organized crime policies proposed by the candidates in Paraguay’s presidential election, which was won on April 30 by Santiago Peña. Our pre-election coverage was cited…