Organized Crime Evolves, Threatening Governance in Latin America

Organized crime has transformed from hierarchical mafias into sophisticated, networked entities. These groups now diversify their illegal businesses, covering everything from synthetic drugs to illicit mining and cultural artifact theft. They also forge global alliances with state and private actors, leverage advanced technology for expansion, and increasingly pursue political objectives at local and national levels. This evolution blurs the lines between legal and illegal economies, and public and private spheres, creating a complex poly-criminality.

Latin America and the Caribbean bear a disproportionate burden of this crisis. While accounting for 8.3% of the global population, the region registers a staggering 28.9% of the world's homicides. A recent study reveals that between 77 and 101 million people in 18 Latin American countries live under some form of violent social and political control, known as criminal governance. This phenomenon emerges as states weaken, retreat, or become co-opted, allowing criminal organizations to assert authority.

While some segments of the population might experience temporary benefits from this criminal governance, the majority face rampant insecurity and arbitrariness. The article highlights the urgent need to update the understanding of organized crime, particularly in Latin America, given its profound impact on governance, security, and daily life. The challenge lies in confronting these evolving criminal structures and their deep integration into societal and political systems.