All About Victor Carranza

BRIEF

Emerald Czar Accused of Planning Bomb Attack in Bogota

COLOMBIA / 21 APR 2016

Witness testimony implicates a recently captured emerald baron in the planning of a daring bomb attack against a competitor in Colombia's capital city, another sign of how deeply enmeshed the…

COLOMBIA / 15 SEP 2014

The death of one of Colombia's most important emerald barons marks the end of an era of relative peace and could usher in another "Green War" as rival clans fight…

COLOMBIA / 5 JUN 2014

Since the death of controversial "Emerald Czar" Victor Carranza in April 2013, a series of attacks against members of Colombia's emerald industry have led to speculation that another "Green War"…

COLOMBIA / 30 JAN 2014

Emerald miners in Colombia will soon meet with church and police representatives in an attempt to avert a bloody conflict, as ongoing tension highlights the government's failure to curb…

COLOMBIA / 20 NOV 2013

A week after surviving a grenade attack, Colombia's "New Emerald Czar" has been arrested for links to organized crime and weapons trafficking, in what could be an operation designed to…

COLOMBIA / 14 NOV 2013

The man believed to have replaced "Emerald Czar" Victor Carranza as the most powerful figure in Colombia's emerald trade has named the rivals he blames for a recent attempt on…

COLOMBIA / 5 APR 2013

Colombia's famed "Emerald Czar," Victor Carranza, is dead of natural causes. As was clear when I interviewed him, Carranza, more than any other underworld figure in Colombia's history, knew how…

COLOMBIA / 1 APR 2013

Colombia's ailing "Emerald Czar," Victor Carranza, has called for a new peace deal with his rivals as fears mount over a new war for control of the lucrative emerald sector.

COLOMBIA / 30 OCT 2012

There are signs that a new battle for control of Colombia’s emerald business is already breaking out, as the industry’s ailing kingpin, Victor Carranza, struggles to keep a…

COLOMBIA / 19 JUL 2012

Colombian emerald magnate Victor Carranza is approaching his end after a long battle with cancer, and his demise could spark a bloody war for control of this lucrative industry, with…

AUC / 19 APR 2012

"Emerald Czar" Victor Carranza is Colombia's Teflon man, having survived various attempts to assassinate and prosecute him over a 30-year period. Now he must beat back a new set of…

COLOMBIA / 22 MAR 2011

New evidence has emerged linking Colombian “emerald czar” Victor Carranza to paramilitary groups, but it is unlikely to be sufficient to convict this linchpin of the country’s multi-million…

About InSight Crime

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Venezuela Coverage Continues to be Highlighted

3 MAR 2023

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…

THE ORGANIZATION

Venezuela's Organized Crime Top 10 Attracts Attention

24 FEB 2023

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…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime on El País Podcast

10 FEB 2023

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.

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime Interviewed by Associated Press

3 FEB 2023

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,…

THE ORGANIZATION

Escaping Barrio 18

27 JAN 2023

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…