South America

Crime in South America cannot be dealt with as a simple case of domestic policy. This is so for a number of reasons. First, crime in South America is intractably linked to the ability of criminal networks to “market their goods” on an international scale. In traditional economic terms, supply and demand are linked in and through multiple networks of smuggling, drug trafficking, money laundering, and corruption. Second, crime in South America is a strong impediment to regional growth and political stability. Criminal networks, from the famous Medellín drug cartel in Colombia to narco-terrorist organizations such as Shining Path in Peru, are often able to undermine legitimate forms of governance and state control. Like any business that is able to deliver secure and constant profit ...