Latin America Unites Against Organized Crime

The Latin American Security Summit commenced on August 19 in Guayaquil, Ecuador, a city grappling with severe insecurity, having recorded 1,650 violent crimes this year alone. The summit highlighted the growing sophistication and interconnectedness of criminal organizations that operate across borders, necessitating a collaborative approach to combat them. Ilan Goldfajn, president of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), emphasized the need for a multifaceted strategy to address organized crime, which includes limiting its influence on vulnerable populations, strengthening state institutions, and disrupting financial flows. The IDB announced its role as the technical secretariat for the summit, aiming to mobilize resources effectively to tackle these evolving threats. Goldfajn pointed out the importance of utilizing analytical and intelligence tools to identify crime hotspots and allocate resources efficiently. The IDB also revealed a partnership with the World Bank and the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF) to enhance cooperation in generating knowledge and supporting public policies against transnational organized crime. Candice Walsh from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime noted the expanding activities of groups like the Gulf Clan, which have diversified from cocaine trafficking to include migrant smuggling and human trafficking. Recent violent incidents, such as a massacre in a mine in Azuay province, underscore the urgent need for intervention. The IDB plans to implement programs aimed at preventing youth recruitment into criminal organizations, drawing on successful models from Costa Rica and Brazil. The summit concluded with a call for transparency in financing to combat corruption and control the flow of illicit activities, as highlighted by Tuesday Reitano from the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime.