InSight Crime Podcast | From the ground up

Judge Ivana David has been working in the Brazil's prison system for 30 years, which gave her a front row seat to the emergence of the PCC. Its rise startled Brazil and beyond, but it is was not anomaly. In fact, it is part of a region-wide trend where prison-based criminal groups dominate the underworld in the Americas. More about the PCC and our coverage on prisons and gangs at ⁠insightcrime.org

Abraham Barberi is a walking paradox. He is from Mexico but lives in the United States. He does missionary work but plays guitar in a death metal band. He is a Baptist pastor but advocates for migrants and asylum seekers. This is the story of how he navigates these contradictions in Matamoros, the birthplace of Mexico’s Gulf Cartel and one of the country’s most dangerous cities. Sociedad Demente, by My place Was Taken.

On June 20, 2023, at least 46 inmates were killed by members of the 18th Street gang at Honduras’ National Female Penitentiary for Social Adaptation, in what was one of the deadliest massacres ever recorded in a women’s prison in Latin America. But it wasn’t the first massacre in this prison. Three years earlier, six women, allegedly linked to the MS13, also lost their lives at the hands of the 18th Street gang there. InSight Crime tells the stories of two rival gang members inside this prison, who, despite coming from very similar contexts, are ready to engage in a war with each other. More about this story at ⁠insightcrime.org

In Colombia, farming coca for cocaine production provides an alternative livelihood in the midst of poverty and state abandonment. At the same time, coca cultivation brings a curse. Behind the coca trade are armed groups, massacres, murders, and displacements. This dichostomy can only be truly understood by those who have experienced it firsthand, as Ana has done. Through her story, InSight Crime explores the evolution of organized crime in Putumayo, Colombia — and how, despite promises of peace, coca continues to affect the fate of an entire department. More about this story and our coverage of coca, cocaine, and organized crime in Colombia at insightcrime.org

In 2019, a series of wildfires—largely set to clear land for agribusiness and make way for new residents — devastated Santa Cruz, the Bolivian state on the edge of the Amazon. Behind the fires was a pernicious force: organized crime. Illegal land grabs and timber traffickers spurred the wildfires, which continue today. In this podcast, through the stories of two volunteer firefighters, InSight Crime will tell the story of these fires and the criminals behind them, some of whom come from the government itself.

For over a decade, InSight Crime has investigated organized crime in the Americas. Across the hemisphere, we’ve interviewed thousands of people, from government insiders to victims caught in the crossfire, from criminal operators to tireless NGO leaders. We’ve also witnessed firsthand the many masks that organized crime wears in places where corruption often takes center stage. Throughout, we’ve discovered tales of anguish, resilience, unexpected joys, and undying hope. Join us on our podcast, as we decipher the various layers of corruption, unravel the complex dynamics of crime, and bear witness to the indomitable human spirit.