The announcement of the death of Gentil Duarte, one of the top dissident commanders of the defunct Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), continues to reverberate in Venezuela and Colombia. InSight Crime Co-director Jeremy McDermott spoke to Venezuelan news outlet El Pitazo about the ramifications of his killing on Venezuelan soil for criminal dynamics in both countries.  

The initial theory on Duarte’s death pointed to the ELN, who have since denied any involvement. Now, the new theory is that it was another group, the Second Marquetalia. But nobody is talking about the possible role of the Colombian State; the involvement of Venezuelan authorities has been proved.”

Our story on the implications of Duarte’s death was picked up in both Colombian and Venezuelan media, while outlets worldwide made use of our long-running archive on Duarte and his criminal history. And our best-performing story of May covered the potential collapse of Mexico’s most feared criminal organization, the Jalisco Cartel New Generation (CJNG). 

READ: Our latest coverage of the CJNG

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