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Articles by Sergio Saffón
Cauca’s Pacific Coast Sees Surge in Violence as Conflict Spreads
A new wave of violence in southwestern Colombia signals a worrying spread of conflict into previously calm territories. On September 10, a powerful explosion hit the Pacific coastal town of Timbiquí, in Cauca, damaging more than 100 homes and injuring eight marines. Just two days earlier, 12 people were killed in a massacre in the nearby town of López de Micay.
La violencia se recrudece en la costa pacífica del Cauca a medida que se extiende el conflicto
Una oleada de atentados en el sur occidente de Colombia refleja el desbordamiento de los altos niveles de violencia de la región hacia nuevos territorios. El 10 de septiembre, una fuerte explosión en Timbiquí, un municipio ubicado en la región pacífica del departamento del Cauca, impactó más de un centenar de viviendas e hirió a ocho infantes de marina. Dos días antes, 12 personas fueron asesinadas en una masacre en el municipio vecino de López de Micay, también en la zona costera del Cauca.
What Is Behind the Surge in Cocaine Seizures in the French Caribbean in 2024?
Record-breaking cocaine seizures in the French Caribbean in 2024 appear to be the result of rampant cocaine manufacturing in Latin America, along with increased cooperation between French and Venezuelan authorities. In July, French officials seized two significant drug shipments in the Lesser Antilles. On July 8, the navy seized 1.2 tons of cocaine from a Venezuelan sailing yacht about 160 kilometers south of Martinique.
Qué hay detrás del aumento de las incautaciones de cocaína en el Caribe francés
Las incautaciones récord de cocaína en el Caribe francés en 2024 parecen ser el resultado de la producción desenfrenada de cocaína en América Latina, junto con una mayor cooperación entre las autoridades francesas y venezolanas. En julio, las autoridades francesas incautaron dos importantes cargamentos de droga en las Antillas Menores. El 8 de julio, la Marina incautó 1,2 toneladas de cocaína en un velero venezolano a unos 160 kilómetros al sur de Martinica.
Latin American Drug Traffickers Evade Authorities With Unmanned Vessels and Chemical Innovations
Latin American drug networks are increasingly using unmanned vessels and employing new methods to chemically transform cocaine to move large drug shipments. InSight Crime spoke to Frigate Captain Glehiston Hernández Gutiérrez, director of the International Center for Research and Analysis against Maritime Narcotrafficking (Centro Internacional de Investigación y Análisis contra el Narcotráfico Marítimo – CIMCON) about current and future trends in maritime drug trafficking patterns.
Embarcaciones no tripuladas e innovaciones químicas: estrategias más recientes de narcotraficantes latinoamericanos
El creciente uso de embarcaciones no tripuladas y la constante innovación en la transformación química de la cocaína, son dos de las más recientes adaptaciones de las redes de narcotráfico en América Latina para mover grandes cargamentos de droga.
Latin American Drug Traffickers Evade Authorities With Unmanned Vessels and Chemical Innovations
Latin American drug networks are increasingly using unmanned vessels and employing new methods to chemically transform cocaine to move large drug shipments. InSight Crime spoke to Frigate Captain Glehiston Hernández Gutiérrez, director of the International Center for Research and Analysis against Maritime Narcotrafficking (Centro Internacional de Investigación y Análisis contra el Narcotráfico Marítimo – CIMCON) about current and future trends in maritime drug trafficking patterns.
Why Colombia’s Second Marquetalia May Finally Be Ready for Peace
The dissident guerrilla group known as the Second Marquetalia has entered peace negotiations with the government of Colombia, and appears poised to strike a deal due to its weakened condition. On June 24, representatives from the Second Marquetalia (Segunda Marquetalia) and the Colombian government met in Caracas, Venezuela to begin peace talks under Colombian President Gustavo Petro’s Total Peace (Paz Total) strategy.
Por qué la Segunda Marquetalia podría estar lista para la paz en Colombia
El grupo guerrillero disidente conocido como la Segunda Marquetalia ha iniciado negociaciones de paz con el gobierno de Colombia, y parece estar a punto de llegar a un acuerdo a causa de su debilitada condición. El 24 de junio, representantes de la Segunda Marquetalia y del gobierno colombiano se reunieron en Caracas, Venezuela para iniciar conversaciones de paz en el marco de la política de Paz Total del presidente de Colombia, Gustavo Petro.
From Total to Partial Peace: Colombia's Talks With Crime Groups Fragment
Colombian President Gustavo Petro is being forced to confront the possibility that his flagship security policy, Total Peace (Paz Total), may only have partial peace in its sights. National-level peace talks have broken down between the government and two of the armed groups in the most advanced stages of negotiations, the National Liberation Army (Ejército de Liberación Nacional – ELN) and the Central General Staff (Estado Mayor Central – EMC).
De la Paz Total a la paz parcial: Los diálogos con los grupos criminales en Colombia se fragmentan
El presidente de Colombia, Gustavo Petro, se está viendo obligado a afrontar la posibilidad de que su política de seguridad insignia, la Paz Total, solo alcance una paz parcial. Las conversaciones de paz a nivel nacional entre el gobierno y el Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN) y el Estado Mayor Central (EMC), una disidencia de las extintas Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC) se encuentran en suspenso.
Violence in Valle del Cauca Highlights Rise of Gang Massacres in Colombia
A spate of massacres in the southwestern Colombian department of Valle del Cauca illustrates how small urban gangs are increasingly employing a form of violence previously associated with the country’s major armed groups. Twenty-one massacres – defined as the simultaneous killing of three or more people – have been registered by human rights NGO, INDEPAZ, in Colombia so far in 2024. Four of the mass killings stemmed from escalating gang violence in Valle del Cauca.
La violencia en Valle del Cauca evidencia el aumento de las masacres pandilleras en Colombia
Una serie de masacres en el departamento del Valle del Cauca, en el suroeste de Colombia, ilustra cómo las bandas criminales urbanas emplean cada vez más una forma de violencia que antes se asociaba a los principales grupos armados del país. En lo que va de 2024 se han registrado 21 masacres en Colombia, entendidas como el asesinato simultáneo de tres o más personas. Cuatro de ellas se derivan de la escalada de violencia entre pandillas en Valle del Cauca.
Colombia’s AGC Squeezes Profits From Control Of Key Migration Choke Point
White-sand beaches that were once designated for tourists have become camping grounds for thousands of migrants in Necoclí, a small town situated on the Gulf of Urabá’s eastern shore, on Colombia’s Caribbean coast. At the water’s edge, migrants from Venezuela, Ecuador, China, Haiti, and the Middle East have set up hundreds of tents of different sizes and colors crammed together in uneven rows.
Las AGC exprimen las ganancias de la migración al norte de Colombia
Las playas de arena blanca, que alguna vez estuvieron destinadas a albergar a turistas, ahora se han convertido en campamentos improvisados para miles de migrantes en Necoclí, un pequeño municipio ubicado en la costa este del golfo de Urabá, en la Costa Caribe colombiana. A orillas del agua, migrantes provenientes de Venezuela, Ecuador, China, Haití y Medio Oriente han instalado cientos de tiendas de campaña de distintos tamaños y colores apiñadas en hileras desiguales.
GameChangers 2023: Unintended Consequences for Colombia’s 'Total Peace'
President Gustavo Petro’s “Total Peace” policy had a difficult 2023. Not only did it fail to persuade the country’s most important armed groups to lay down their arms, but it also led to a reshaping of Colombia‘s criminal landscape. The Total Peace policy is Petro’s bold bid to bring the criminal activities of Colombia’s main armed groups to an end.
GameChangers 2023: Las consecuencias imprevistas de la 'Paz Total' en el panorama criminal de Colombia
La política de «Paz Total» del presidente Gustavo Petro tuvo un año difícil en 2023. Además de alejarse en su objetivo de persuadir a los grupos armados más importantes del país de abandonar las armas, provocó una reestructuración del panorama criminal de Colombia. La política de la Paz Total es la osada apuesta del presidente Petro para negociar con los principales grupos armados de Colombia el cese de sus actividades delictivas.
Gang Leader Promotes Peace in Strategic Colombian Port
Buenaventura is Colombia’s main port on the Pacific seaboard and one of the principal departure points for drug shipments. Long fought over by criminal groups, the city is now the scene of peace talks with the Colombian government. William Carvajal Obregón, alias “Jerónimo,” a tall and imposing figure dressed in military pants and a black shirt, is the spokesman for the Shottas gang.
En un puerto estratégico de Colombia, las pandillas esperan la Paz Total
Buenaventura es el puerto principal del pacífico colombiano, y uno de los principales puntos de partida de cargamentos de droga. La ciudad, disputada durante mucho tiempo por grupos criminales, es ahora un escenario de conversaciones de paz con el gobierno. Willian Carvajal Obregón, alias “Jerónimo” un hombre alto e imponente, vestido con pantalones militares y camisa negra, es el portavoz de la banda los Shottas.
In Cauca, Colombian Rebels Make War While Talking Peace
Peace talks in Cauca hang by a thread after the killing of a Colombian soldier by the ex-FARC mafia, underlining the threat that armed groups in this strategically important drug trafficking department hold for the country’s Total Peace aims. Authorities announced the death of Dinolberto León Martínez, a soldier of the Colombian armed forces, on October 11. He was shot dead that morning while guarding a polling station in Balboa, in the Pacific department of Cauca, ahead of local elections.
Las ex-FARC mafia en Colombia continúan la guerra mientras hablan de paz
Las negociaciones de paz en el Cauca penden de un hilo tras el asesinato de un soldado colombiano a manos de las ex-FARC mafia, poniendo de relieve la fragilidad de la Paz Total en este departamento estratégico para el narcotráfico. En la mañana del 11 de octubre autoridades colombianas confirmaron la muerte de Dinolberto León Martínez, soldado de las Fuerzas Militares de Colombia.
Inside the Investigation into Paraguay's Horacio Cartes
Former Paraguay president, Horacio Cartes, is facing the worst moment of his political career: accused of money laundering at home, he also has US authorities on his tail. The State Department accused Cartes of participating in “significant corruption” on July 22. The former president allegedly obstructed a criminal investigation and also maintained ties to “foreign terrorist organizations,” according to a statement released by US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken.
Could Paraguay’s Untouchable Former President, Horacio Cartes, Finally Fall?
A figure so protected he was long thought to be unassailable, former Paraguay president Horacio Cartes is suddenly facing severe threats at home and abroad. On July 22, the United States denounced Cartes for alleged “involvement in significant corruption.” In a press statement, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken made serious allegations against Cartes, including that he “obstructed a major international investigation into transnational crime” to protect himself and an unspecified associate.
¿Caerá al fin el intocable expresidente de Paraguay Horacio Cartes?
Una figura tan protegida que por mucho tiempo se creyó intocable, enfrenta de repente graves amenazas en su país y en el exterior: el expresidente de Paraguay Horacio Cartes. El 22 de julio, Estados Unidos denunció a Cartes por presunta “participación en corrupción significativa”.
Paraguay enfrenta cambiante panorama criminal tras asesinato de fiscal
El asesinato de un fiscal antimafia, durante su luna de miel en Colombia, ha prendido las alarmas sobre la creciente sofisticación y ambición de los grupos criminales paraguayos. Desde que el fiscal paraguayo Marcelo Pecci fuera acribillado el 10 de mayo en una playa al norte de Colombia, las autoridades han declarado que el golpe hizo parte de una compleja operación que se originó en Paraguay.
Paraguay Grapples with Criminal Sophistication After Prosecutor's Slaying
The assassination of a crusading Paraguayan prosecutor while on honeymoon in Colombia has caused widespread alarm about the rising levels of sophistication and brazenness of Paraguayan criminal groups. The killing of Paraguayan prosecutor Marcelo Pecci – who was shot dead May 10 on the island of Barú – involved a complex operation that originated in Paraguay, Colombian authorities said.
How a 'narco sub' built deep in the Amazon jungle made it across the Atlantic with 3 tons of cocaine
Chevron icon It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options. HOMEPAGE 0 Subscribe Subscribe When authorities in Spain captured the first known drug submarine to cross the Atlantic, questions soon surfaced about how such a journey could be possible.
Ad Haiti il potere è in mano alle bande
27 ottobre 2021 11:54 I rapimenti sono aumentati ad Haiti, ma la crisi ha radici politiche oltre che criminali. Tra gennaio e metà ottobre di quest’anno si sono verificati 782 rapimenti, secondo i dati del Centro di analisi e di ricerca sui diritti umani di Haiti (Cardh). Di sicuro Haiti supererà il totale di 796 rapimenti registrato nel 2020. Solo nella prima metà di ottobre se ne sono verificati 119. Il paese non toccava livelli simili dal 2005, quando ci furono 760 sequestri.
Narcotráfico y protección política en Paraguay: el caso de "Cucho" Cabaña
En un estado fronterizo de Paraguay, narcotraficantes y políticos corruptos comparten intereses comunes y las contiendas políticas se entrelazan con el hampa. El 28 de agosto de 2018, Diego Medina Otazú salió de Ciudad del Este en un Fiat plateado. La ciudad se encuentra en el corazón de lo que se conoce como la Triple Frontera, en los límites de Paraguay con Brasil y Argentina.
Drug Trafficking and Political Protection in Paraguay
In a Paraguay border state, drug traffickers and dirty politicians find common ground, and political fights spill into the underworld. On August 28, 2018, Diego Medina Otazú departed in a silver Fiat from Ciudad del Este. The city lies at the heart of what is known as the triple frontier where Paraguay borders with Brazil and Argentina. It is a well-known hub of contraband and criminal activity, and Medina was part of at least one criminal scheme.
Money Launderer Extraordinaire Dario Messer Finally Faces Justice in Brazil
An agreement between a Brazilian court and Dario Messer, the key financier behind one of South America’s largest money laundering operations, ends proceedings against him in that country, but his cooperation could have far-reaching implications for powerful figures in the region.
Soaring Gold Prices During Pandemic Fuel Peru's Illegal Mining
Miners in Peru have skirted coronavirus mobility restrictions to return to Madre de Dios — an Amazon region where the military launched a massive 2019 operation to root out illegal miners. Illegal mining operations have ramped up in the Tambopata National Reserve, a protected area of tropical rainforest in southeastern Madre de Dios, El Comercio reported. Miners have also made incursions along the banks of the Malinowski, Tambopata and Pariamanu rivers.
Ucayali, Peru's Drug Trafficking Gateway to Bolivia and Brazil
The coronavirus pandemic has halted trafficking in Peru and sent cocaine prices plummeting, but drug seizures continue in the border department of Ucayali, a jungle region that has become a major smuggling corridor to Bolivia and Brazil. A March 29 raid in eastern Ucayali department resulted in the seizure of 39 kilograms of cocaine, the discovery of three clandestine airstrips and the arrest of nine people, according to local media outlet Caretas.
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