The principal crossing point from Venezuela into Colombia, the frontier city of Cúcuta, has seen rising levels of violence as it struggles to confront the growing strength of Venezuelan criminal groups.
The powerful criminal networks that are deeply rooted throughout the Amazon basin increasingly pursue environmental crimes as a lucrative income source.
It is an election year in Venezuela, and President Nicolás Maduro is determined to cling to power. His criminal alliances will be crucial for the survival of his regime.
The hope is that we will see another decline for January, but some are concerned about how the 12% minimum wage increase and El Niño have affected prices.
“There’s an unfortunate trend in the region where laws are really good on paper, but they’re not fully put into practice,” said Julia Yansura of the FACT Coalition.
The business of smuggling migrants has exposed levels of corruption among Colombian officials in key institutions, including the navy and Migration Colombia.
Given that the Satanás gang has proven it can operate effectively from within Colombian prisons, locking up more members is unlikely to curtail the group’s activities.