Newsbriefing – Week of 10 December

In Guatemala, an investigation shows the links between an influential pastor and a high-profile drug-trafficker to support the construction of a church. The concerned pastor and church denied the accusations. A legal expert suggests that Kenya include the Unexplained Wealth Order (UWO) in the country’s criminal law. In other countries, the UWO has had some…

Newsbriefing – Week of 3 December

After numerous seizures during the month of November, the Venezuelan authorities reported an increase in drug flows coming from Colombia through the country’s coastal state of Anzoátegui. It seems that the region is also the centre of an air-trafficking network, sending drugs to the Caribbean, Honduras and Mexico. The dismantling of ​a network of ketamine…

Newsbriefing – Week of 12 November

The influence of the National Liberation Army (ELN), a Colombian armed group, is growing as the group reportedly operates on Venezuelan territory. Venezuela’s minister of defence raised criticisms towards the Colombian authorities, saying that they were not able to contain the threat of criminal groups and drug trafficking. Academics, researchers, and journalists, met on November…

Newsbriefing – Week of 22 October

A report from the International Drug Policy Consortium (IDPC) critically analysed the UNODC 10-years plan to tackle drug trafficking and highlighted the human cost of the international war on drugs. According to the IDPC, despite UN efforts, drug-related deaths have increased 145% in the last decade. The US Department of Justice revealed a list of…

News briefing – Week of 3 April

Venezuela’s capital Caracas has been ranked by the Citizen’s Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice (CCSPJP) as the world’s deadliest city for a second year in a row, with a homicide rate of 130 per 100.000 inhabitants. The city is notorious for its high rates of street and organised crime, becoming a major drug…

News Briefing – Week of 15 August

Paraguay authorities reported the interception of a tour bus loaded with 296 kilos of cocaine on its way to the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Two men were arrested and charged with drug trafficking and other crimes. According to officials, the cocaine would have a value of $3 million on the Brazilian market. Venezuelan…