Democracy requires self-governance and equal citizenship. In Latin America, these ideals have faced persistent challenges (Przeworski 2010). In the past, military regimes and insurgent movements posed the greatest threats to democracy; today, criminal organizations represent a growing challenge. While these groups primarily aim to control illicit markets, their activities differ significantly across countries. In Mexico, Brazil, or Colombia, criminal organizations often extend their influence into social and political spheres. Existing research has largely focused on understanding these cases. While this research has enriched our understanding of criminal governance, it has overlooked instances where governance appears limited to the control of illicit markets without extending into broader social or political control.

The aim of this chapter is twofold. First, it seeks to analyse, from a critical perspective, how the punitive and racialised model known as the War on Drugs has been implemented in South America as a ...

The Brazilian Operação “Carbono Oculto” or “Hidden Carbon” operation, launched on 28 August 2025, transcended the scope of a traditional police action against organized crime. With the mobilization of...

The Red Command or Commando Vermelho (CV) has developed a mobile ride-sharing application (app) to further its operations and territorial control.[1] The revelation of a transportation app created by ...

Ces dernières années, les cartels mexicains ont créé des laboratoires de fabrication de drogues synthétiques.

Los cárteles mexicanos han llevado su estructura operativa al otro lado del Atlántico mediante alianzas con mafias de los Balcanes y el montaje de laboratorios

En los últimos años se ha dado una presencia de los carteles mexicanos en la instalación de laboratorios de drogas sintéticas.

Talk by Laura A. Dean (Millikin University) as part of her fellowship at the Leibniz Institute for East and Southeast European Studies.

Análisis L21 | Trump y la crisis del fentanilo: América Latina en una nueva guerra fallida contra las drogas.

El tráfico de drogas en el país europeo es un desafío al Estado, con ataques y homicidios que se multiplican. De acuerdo con expertos, los narcos “calcaron” el modelo de México

Las negociaciones de paz resultan insuficientes incluso para lograr una disminución clara y sostenida de la violencia.

La pandemia del COVID-19 podría estar ayudando a los cárteles mexicanos en Europa mediante una “curva de aprendizaje” a incrementar su eficiencia.

Ludmila Quirós argues that the growing infiltration of Latin American criminal actors into EU territory is seriously undermining the bloc's security and radically changing organised crime in Europe

Cinco químicos mexicanos fueron los encargados de instalar el laboratorio clandestino y dejarlo en operación en Le Val, un apacible pueblo francés

El estudio, elaborado por el periodista y consultor en defensa y seguridad Douglas Farah para el Instituto Interamericano para la Democracia, hace foco en la realidad social y política de Formosa, Cha...

Pesquisadores em segurança pública analisam a trégua, decretada este ano, que permitiu que duas das maiores facções do país cooperassem em ações como lavagem de dinheiro e aquisição de armamento pesad...