Latin America
The Impact of the Colombia-Venezuela Border Reopening on Smuggling Dynamics
As darkness falls over Cúcuta, Colombia’s bustling border city, shadows provide cover for criminal networks. Each night, illegal dirt tracks connecting the city to Venezuela become highways for smuggling, with large quantities of goods slipping past law enforcement. “While we sleep, countless things happen in the city. And yes, smuggling is one of … Read more
The Central American Bank for Economic Integration will grant $646 million to El Salvador in 2025
The Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI) announced on Tuesday, November 12, the disbursement of $646 million for El Salvador to be delivered in 2025. The funds will be used for new infrastructure projects and current projects. The announcement … Read more
U.S. Arrest Turkish Broker Linked to Venezuelan Oil Trade
The arrest of a prominent Venezuelan oil broker in the United States may signal turbulent times ahead for Nicolás Maduro’s administration following Donald Trump’s re-election. On November 2, Turkish businessman Taskin Torlak was arrested in Florida, on charges of conspiracy to transport sanctioned Venezuelan oil, the US Department of Justice reported. Torlak, who owns several shipping … Read more
Costa Rica Honors President Bukele with Top Diplomatic Award for Reducing Crime in El Salvador
Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves presented Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele with the highest distinction awarded by the Costa Rican nation to foreign heads of state. Bukele was awarded the Juan Mora Fernández National Order in the Degree of Grand Cross … Read more
Will Costa Rica Follow Ecuador’s Path? Examining the Rise of Crime in the Pura Vida Country
High levels of violence indicate how once-peaceful Costa Rica is feeling the tightening grip of cocaine trafficking. But is the Central American country on a similar path to Ecuador to the south? Costa Rica’s homicides have grown slowly over the last several years but spiked to reach a historic high in 2023 with 907 recorded killings or … Read more
This Is How Seven Universities From El Salvador Rank in the QS World University Rankings
Seven Salvadoran Universities were included in the World University Ranking of Latin America and the Caribbean universities for 2025, published in early October by the QS World University Rankings. The seven universities are the Central American University José Simeón Cañas … Read more
The State of Emergency Strategy: Why Latin American Leaders Keep Turning to It
Several Latin American countries have recently declared or prolonged states of emergency aimed at combating organized crime, even though the results of these efforts so far have been lackluster. In the first days of October, the governments of Ecuador, Honduras, and El Salvador extended their existing states of emergency. In general, this type of measure suspends civil rights such as … Read more
