HomeThe OrganizationCombating Environmental Crime in Colombia
THE ORGANIZATION

Combating Environmental Crime in Colombia

15 JUN 2021 BY INSIGHT CRIME EN

In a special briefing on May 27, InSight Crime presented findings from a year-long investigation – conducted with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and others – into the four main criminal activities fueling environmental destruction in Colombia: illegal mining, landgrabbing, timber trafficking, and wildlife smuggling.

The online session convened more than 100 stakeholders, including officials from the Colombian government, police, military and prosecutor’s office, functionaries from various embassies, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), as well as the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Also taking part were representatives of dozens of non-governmental organizations involved in conservation and development, civil society leaders, and academics.

During the event, InSight Crime project manager for environmental crime María Fernanda Ramírez discussed the dynamics of timber trafficking and the corruption that fuels it. Ramírez also provided actionable recommendations to combat the illegal logging that devastates biodiversity.

InSight Crime Co-director Jeremy McDermott spoke on how sophisticated organized crime structures have found opportunities in environmental crime, highlighting how the overlap creates additional security challenges for the Colombian government in tackling this problem.

See our InDepth page on Environmental Crime >

share icon icon icon

Was this content helpful?

We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.

DONATE

What are your thoughts? Click here to send InSight Crime your comments.

We encourage readers to copy and distribute our work for non-commercial purposes, with attribution to InSight Crime in the byline and links to the original at both the top and bottom of the article. Check the Creative Commons website for more details of how to share our work, and please send us an email if you use an article.

Was this content helpful?

We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.

DONATE

About InSight Crime

THE ORGANIZATION

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…