The Americas Quarterly Podcast How Crime Is Affecting Latin American Politics
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Sep 18, 2025 Lucía Dammert, security expert and academic who has worked in government across Latin America, discusses how booming cocaine production, money laundering and criminal infiltration are reshaping politics. She describes four structural shifts in regional crime. She explains criminal governance inside the state, the Amazon as a criminal hub, and why policing alone will not solve these problems.
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Cocaine Surge Reshapes Regional Risk
- Cocaine production has tripled in a decade, reshaping crime across Latin America.
- Money, new trafficking routes, and laundering now pull previously 'exceptional' countries into criminal markets.
Parallel Power Embedded In The State
- Criminal governance now penetrates local and regional governments through familial and political ties.
- These parallel power structures operate inside the state rather than solely outside it.
Amazon As A Hub For Diverse Illegal Markets
- The Amazon has become an epicenter for multiple illegal markets beyond drugs, like gold and environmental crimes.
- Its distance from capitals and weak state presence makes it ideal for entrenched illegal economies.
