CRIME & SECURITY Prison breaks in Buenos Aires: 19 inmates escape in 20 days, many convicts at large Yesterday 16:04 Fugitives on the run in Argentina – overcrowding at police stations in and across the capital allows detainees to escape from jail.
FEATURE Poverty, marginalisation, cocaine: Gangs find lucrative combo 30-03-2024 06:48 Argentina's economy is in intensive care. Financial stagnation, coupled with record inflation and the slashing of public spending have resulted in rising poverty and marginalisation. But in every crisis some see opportunity, and this time, it is crime groups. With drug-trafficking expanding in the barrios, analysts warn of new complex dynamics in the long run. by Josefina Salomon*, In.Visibles
CRIME & SECURITY Family of footballer Ángel Di María threatened in Rosario 25-03-2024 13:16 Relatives of national team footballer Ángel Di María left threatening note in Rosario by drug-gangs. Last week, Benfica star mentioned how much he is affected by the growing insecurity in his native region, warning it affected a possible future move to Rosario Central, the club where he began his successful professional career.
FOOTBALLERS ACCUSED Four Vélez Sarsfield footballers detained in rape probe 19-03-2024 11:20 Sebastián Sosa, José Florentín, Braian Cufré and Abiel Osorio provisionally detained as part of investigation into 24-year-old sports journalist’s rape accusation.
CRIME & SECURITY Federal troops arrive in Rosario as drug violence, paralyses city 14-03-2024 21:53 After a week marked by a wave of violence, murder and drug-trafficking, 450 reinforcements arrive in troubled city, adding to the 2,000 members of the Coast Guard, Border Guard, Federal Police and Airport Security Force who are providing support.
CRIME & SECURITY Bullrich unveils new protocol for federal forces, relaxes rules on use of weapons 14-03-2024 11:00 Security Minister outlines new protocol for federal security forces, which will allow officers to shoot in order to prevent a criminal from escaping; "We don't want more Chocobar cases," declares Bullrich in reference to notorious 2017 incident.
CRIME & INSECURITY Drug violence and fear paralyse Rosario as security crisis deepens 11-03-2024 17:09 Without taxis or buses and with closed schools: Parts of Rosario, Argentina's third-most populated city, have been turned into a ghost-town after four murders linked to drug-trafficking. President Javier Milei’s government has sent federal security forces to the region to assist efforts to secure the city.
CRIME & SECURITY Santa Fe governor orders Bukele-style tactics for narcos in Rosario 11-03-2024 12:53 Santa Fe Province Governor Maximiliano Pullaro is angering narco bosses with his Bukele-style approach to tackling drug violence in dangerous Rosario.
CRIME & SECURITY Government sends federal forces to Rosario to tackle drug violence 11-03-2024 12:23 President Javier Milei says he will respond to Governor Maximiliano Pullaro's request and send federal security forces to Rosario to help tackle drug violence.
WAR IN MIDDLE EAST Israel's Shiri Bibas: unwitting face of hostages 06-03-2024 14:31 Poignant images of an anguished Shiri Bibas clutching her two red-headed boys as she was kidnapped by Hamas on October 7 have turned her into the face of the Israeli hostages seized that day.
CRIME & SECURITY Report reveals most unsafe cities in Argentina 28-02-2024 18:10 Rosario suffered the most crimes last year and has the highest murder rate in Argentina. Also in the ranking are two cities on the Atlantic Coast: Mar del Plata and Villa Gesell. by Leonardo Nieva
Extortion in Peru Pay up, or else: Latin America cowed by lucrative extortion 26-02-2024 13:50 Extortion, a business more lucrative than drug trafficking thanks to its high profits, has become the bane of citizens' existence from Mexico through Central America to Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.
Death of Pablo Neruda Chile to reopen probe into mystery death of poet Pablo Neruda 20-02-2024 15:32 An appeals court in Santiago ordered the reopening of the investigation into the death of Neruda, who many believe was poisoned by the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet.
INTERVIEW Waldo Wolff: ‘With tougher penalties in the City, we can lower crime by 50%’ 19-02-2024 17:26 Buenos Aires City Security Minister Waldo Wolff details reforms implemented by the new administration, explains how crime could be further slashed and why “Jorge Macri is a modern leader.” by Ezequiel Spillman
CRIME & INSECURITY Milei considers deploying Armed Forces against organised crime 19-02-2024 16:59 While President Javier Milei and Defence minister Luis Petri assess modifying legislation governing role of the Armed Forces on Argentina territory, in Brazil and Paraguay armies are joining forces in the battle against organised crime.
CRIME & SECURITY Peruvian woman accused of cutting off sleeping partner's penis 14-02-2024 12:47 Peruvian authorities said Tuesday they were investigating a woman accused of cutting off her partner's penis with a kitchen knife as he slept.
CRIME & SECURITY Femicide in Berazategui: 33-year-old woman stabbed 24 times 12-02-2024 11:21 Mother-of-four María Belén Muñoz, 33, stabbed 24 times by partner in brutal killing; Accused Alejandro Albornoz, 34, has confessed to crime. He had been denounced for domestic violence by his own mother.
CRIME & SECURITY Milei government relaxes use of firearms by police 10-02-2024 09:36 Security Minister Patricia Bullrich restores rules she first brought in during a previous stint as security minister in 2018, relaxing regulations for use of firearms by security forces.
CRIME & SECURITY Patricia Bullrich: ‘We’d like to adapt the Bukele model' to Argentina 06-02-2024 17:14 President Javier Milei's Security Minister Patricia Bullrich reacts warmly to El Salvador president's declaration that he would be keen to “cooperate” with Argentina on crime and security.
CRIME & SECURITY Ex-Tucumán governor Alperovich faces 15 years in jail as sexual abuse trial begins 06-02-2024 14:46 Former Tucumán governor and senator José Alperovich stands trial for sexual abuse and rape of niece and ex-aide; Offences alleged to have taken place between 2017 and 2018 in both Tucumán and Buenos Aires.
POLITICS & JUDICIARY Rights groups criticise bid to lower age of criminal responsibility 05-02-2024 11:02 Several bills seeking to lower the age of criminal responsibility have been introduced to Argentina’s Congress in recent years, but none have won approval. As Javier Milei’s justice minister confirms he will seek once again to lower the threshold, human rights groups and childrens’ advocacy groups reiterate their opposition. by Ashton Goren
CRIME & SECURITY City Hall official found dead, day after being accused of sexual abuse 24-01-2024 23:34 The lifeless body of City Housing Institute chief Carlos Pedrini was found dead in his home on Tuesday afternoon, just one day after he was accused of sexual abuse.
CRIME & SECURITY Suspect arrested as family holds service for slain nine-year-old 23-01-2024 11:47 Devastated by the death of Umma Aguilera, relatives of the victim hold a wake for their beloved; Killing of nine-year-old daughter of Partricia Bullrich’s custodian believed to have been carried out by four individuals, police are still searching for three remaining suspects.
CRIME & SECURITY ‘Plot’ twist: Court frees trio held over ‘terrorist act’ plan 16-01-2024 14:49 Members of “possible terrorist cell” denounced publicly by Security Minister Patricia Bullrich released due to lack of evidence; Accused must appear before the courts once a month and may not leave Argentina.
GENDER VIOLENCE Femicides up as Milei seeks to weaken protections 13-01-2024 22:18 Argentina registered 322 femicides in 2023, a figure equivalent to almost one murder a day, according to government data.
CRIME & SECURITY Jorge Macri: ‘We need to deport foreigners who commit crimes’ 11-01-2024 15:33 Buenos Aires City mayor calls for deportation of criminals after City Police arrest three criminals with no Argentine citizenship.
ARMED ATTACK Gunmen burst into Ecuador television studio live on air 09-01-2024 17:15 Armed men wearing balaclavas burst into studio of public television station in Ecuador's drug violence-torn port city of Guayaquil, taking hostage several journalists and staff members.
CRIME & SECURITY Slaying in Santa Teresita: Youth stabbed to death by seaside gang 05-01-2024 00:46 Coastal resort of Santa Teresita rocked as 18-year-old Tomás Valentín Tello Ferreyra is stabbed to death by seaside gang; Ten arrests as police investigate shocking murder.
CRIME & SECURITY Police arrest three foreigners on terrorism plot suspicions 04-01-2024 13:19 Security Minister Patricia Bullrich assures that suspected members of a terrorist cell arrested were waiting for "a package from Yemen"; Trio detained on December 30 are believed to be from Syria and Lebanon and at least one had multiple Latin American passports in his possession.
GOLF Golfer Ángel Cabrera reinstated by PGA after prison stay 20-12-2023 09:15 Two-time major winner Ángel Cabrera has been reinstated by the PGA Tour and over-50 PGA Tour Champions after serving a two-year prison sentence for gender violence.
Terrorism in Latin America Hezbollah operations in South America: what we know 10-11-2023 18:42 Here is what we know – and don't – about Hezbollah's presence in South America, which the United States has called a major security risk.
CRIME ‘Croat’ Ivo Rojnica arrested by police in Nordelta 24-10-2023 16:20 Ivo Rojnica, allegd boss of Nimbus Group parallel exchange house, arrested in the middle of 23 raids ordered by federal judge. Businessman Federico Pulenta and another financier also apprehended. The case is for money-laundering linked to alleged drug-dealing.
CRIME & SECURITY More than 25 years on, Argentina’s ‘highway maniac’ killer remains at large 18-10-2023 15:08 Between 1996 and 1999, at least 12 prostitutes were found murdered on highways and motorways leading to the coastal resort of Mar del Plata. Several suspects were arrested and some reports linked the killings to the mafia, but all were later acquitted due to a lack of evidence. More than 25 years on, the crimes remain unsolved.
CRIME & SECURITY – ANALYSIS Maximum alert at Triple Frontier after Hamas’ attacks in Israel 09-10-2023 15:31 Area taking in triple border junction of Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay remains, according to different international relations analysts, “a mini state benefitting from a corrupt elite while maintaining a large and efficient money-laundering hub for organised crime and terrorist groups.”
Crime & Latin America Venezuela takes prison from gang, seizes bitcoin machines, rocket launchers 22-09-2023 19:06 Venezuelan authorities have taken control of the Tocorón prison, which was overrun by members of the Tren de Aragua gang, who were able to transform the prison into their own 'playground.'
CRIME & SECURITY Rosario: 40 students caught up in shoot-out while on school trip 20-09-2023 15:16 Forty teenagers caught up in night-time shoot-out at petrol station in troubled Santa Fe Province city; Two arrests made and threats against prosecutor being investigated.
HUMAN RIGHTS Court confirms life sentences for Jorge ‘Tigre’ Acosta and 39 others 19-09-2023 16:34 Federal Criminal Cassation Chamber dismissed appeals by 40 individuals convicted of crimes against humanity and sentenced to life in jail.
CRIME & SECURITY Clandestine Nazi printing press in San Isidro dismantled by police 13-09-2023 15:39 Federal Police officers seize more than 200 Nazi-orientated publications and book covers after raiding a clandestine printing press installed inside a home in San Isidro. Owner has been arrested after two-year investigation.
DISAPPEARANCE OF CECILIA STRZYZOWKI Cecilia Strzyzowski's mother and sister say they're leaving Chaco 13-09-2023 14:55 Both Ángela Strzyzowski and Gloria Romero, missing 28-year-old’s sister and mother, have been living under police protection since she disappeared in early June in Resistencia; Investigators believe she was slain by her husband and his parents.
POLITICS Former presidential advisor Antonio Aracre indicted for alleged sexual abuse 11-09-2023 17:02 Antonio Aracre, ex-CEO of Syngenta agricultural firm and former chief advisor to President Alberto Fernández, indicted for alleged sexual abuse of 17-year-old.
MUSIC & CULTURE Cumbia singer L-Gante released from jail after three months 09-09-2023 12:42 Popular cumbia singer L-Gante was released from jail on Friday night after three months behind bars.
CRIME & SECURITY Suspect in fatal Palmero stabbing has long record of armed robbery 06-09-2023 15:33 Suspect Isaías José Suárez has been arrested 13 times before and convicted five times in the last 11 years. He now faces new charges for murdering engineer Mariano Barbieri in Plaza Sicilia, Palermo.
DISAPPEARANCE OF CECILIA STRZYZOWKI Expert report: Bones thought to belong to Cecilia Strzyzowski were burnt 05-09-2023 13:48 Investigators into the disappearance of Cecilia Strzyzowski in Resistencia told bones believed to belong to the victim were burnt for at least three hours before being dumped in a river.
CRIME & SECURITY City police make arrests in investigation into Palermo stabbing 05-09-2023 12:43 Two suspects have been arrested for the killing of 42-year-old Mariano Barbieri last Wednesday night in Palermo, according to police sources.
CRIME & SECURITY Palermo gang rape victim tells court she didn’t consent 04-09-2023 16:04 Six detainees could be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison for February 2022 gang rape; Trial, which is taking place behind closed doors, lasts into September.
CRIME & SECURITY Organised crime in Argentina: clans, crooked cops and money-laundering 04-09-2023 07:12 In Latin American countries such as Colombia, Mexico or El Salvador, criminal organisations have nearly taken control of their territories. Argentina, on the other hand, steers clear of that kind of violence, but that does not mean those groups do not have a presence here. Clans, money-laundering and complicity. by Sabrina Chemen
CRIME & SECURITY 42-year-old man dies after fatal stabbing attack in Palermo 31-08-2023 14:50 New father Mariano Barbieri, 42, dies at hospital from wounds sustained in a fatal stabbing attack in Palermo; After being attacked and having his mobile phone stolen, the victim managed to stagger to an ice cream store where he pleaded for help and told police: "I don't want to die."
LOOTING ATTACKS Inflation or politics? Nation hit by wave of looting 24-08-2023 17:28 Since last Friday, groups of people, sometimes dozens at a time, have forced their way into supermarkets and other stores. But who's behind the unrest?
Unrest spreads Almost 30 arrests amid looting outbreaks across Argentina 22-08-2023 15:55 Close to 30 people were arrested in Argentina over the weekend following looting at shops in the provinces of Cordoba and Mendoza.
ELECTION 2023 Deadly attack on schoolgirl shocks nation as primaries draw closer 09-08-2023 23:24 Campaign events suspended after death of 11-year-old after robbery shocks nation and highlights insecurity on eve of PASO primaries.