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David Mora

@dmoravera.bsky.social
147 followers 60 following 48 posts

Investigative reporter/researcher. Now digging into violence and organized crime in Mexico for @crisisgroup.org

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Reposted by David Mora
Crisis Group Latinoamérica @latam.crisisgroup.org · 14/09/2026
NUEVO Q&A | Venezuela después del pacto petrolero con EE. UU. La administración Trump ha anunciado un acuerdo que, según dice, otorga a EE.UU. una participación importante en la industria petrolera venezolana. @philgunson.bsky.social y @delaneysimon.bsky.social analizan las repercusiones.
crisisgroup.org
Venezuela después del pacto petrolero con EE. UU. | International Crisis Group
La administración Trump ha anunciado un acuerdo con Caracas que, según dice, otorga a EE. UU. una participación importante en la industria petrolera venezolana. En esta sesión de preguntas y respuesta...
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Reposted by David Mora
Comfort Ero @comfortero.crisisgroup.org · 10/07/2026
Must-read debut report by @dmoravera.bsky.social on the criminal turf wars raging in the Mexican state of Sinaloa. President Claudia Sheinbaum should harness Trump's pressure to tackle official collusion and corruption that sustains organised crime in Mexico. www.crisisgroup.org/rpt/latin-am...
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Reposted by David Mora
Crisis Group @crisisgroup.org · 07/07/2026
NEW REPORT | Sinaloa’s War of the Splinters: Fighting Crime in Mexico under U.S. Threat With criminal turf wars killing thousands, the government should harness U.S. pressure to tackle the official collusion and corruption sustaining organised crime. www.crisisgroup.org/rpt/latin-am...
Mexican army personnel detain four young men suspected of involvement in the killing of two Municipal Traffic Police officers in Culiacán, Sinaloa state, Mexico, on 17 October 2025. Photo Credit: Jesús Verdugo
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Reposted by David Mora
Crisis Group Latinoamérica @latam.crisisgroup.org · 02/07/2026
7 July | New @crisisgroup.org report Sinaloa’s War of the Splinters: Fighting Crime in Mexico under U.S. Threat
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Reposted by David Mora
Crisis Group @crisisgroup.org · 27/05/2026
NEW Q&A | Right and Left Vie for Victory in Colombia under U.S. Shadow Colombians go to the polls on 31 May to select a new president. In this Q&A, Glaeldys González Calanche and Víctor Aguilar Pereira explain what is at stake.
crisisgroup.org
Right and Left Vie for Victory in Colombia under U.S. Shadow | International Crisis Group
Colombians go to the polls on 31 May to select a new president. In this Q&A, Crisis Group experts Glaeldys González Calanche and Víctor Aguilar Pereira explain what is at stake.
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Reposted by David Mora
Crisis Group Latinoamérica @latam.crisisgroup.org · 21/05/2026
"If Mexico’s war on drugs is to achieve more than fleeting military victories, the government must dislodge criminal groups from the areas they control and dismantle the support systems that keep them afloat". ✍️ @dmoravera.bsky.social in @foreignaffairs.com
foreignaffairs.com
Why Mexico’s Cartels Are So Hard to Defeat
The real test of Sheinbaum’s security strategy.
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Reposted by David Mora
Foreign Affairs @foreignaffairs.com · 21/05/2026
Read David Mora on Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum’s security strategy—and how Mexico can “turn short-term tactical victories into real strategic gains against criminal groups.”
foreignaffairs.com
Why Mexico’s Cartels Are So Hard to Defeat
The real test of Sheinbaum’s security strategy.
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David Mora @dmoravera.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
Here’s my analysis of what’s working and what’s missing in the current approach. The piece looks at the impossible choices Sheinbaum faces and what both countries should give and take at a moment when the bilateral relationship has become more asymmetric and transactional than perhaps ever before.
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David Mora @dmoravera.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
Foreign Affairs invited me to write about Mexico’s security strategy after the killing of crime boss El Mencho. While editing, the Trump admin indicted Sinaloa governor Rubén Rocha and others, pushing the bilateral relationship into even more volatile terrain www.foreignaffairs.com/guest-pass/r...
foreignaffairs.com
Why Mexico’s Cartels Are So Hard to Defeat
The real test of Sheinbaum’s security strategy.
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Reposted by David Mora
Crisis Group Latinoamérica @latam.crisisgroup.org · 20/05/2026
"Investigations that end in the prosecution of corrupt political figures and cartel financiers—not just those who commit violence—will be crucial for Sheinbaum to turn short-term tactical victories into real strategic gains against criminal groups". ✍️ @dmoravera.bsky.social in @foreignaffairs.com
foreignaffairs.com
Why Mexico’s Cartels Are So Hard to Defeat
The real test of Sheinbaum’s security strategy.
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Reposted by David Mora
Crisis Group @crisisgroup.org · 30/04/2026
The U.S. indicted the governor of Sinaloa state & other current and former Mexican officials on charges of ties to drug trafficking, which they deny. @dmoravera.bsky.social explains what's behind the charges and the complex political waters President Sheinbaum must navigate with the U.S.
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David Mora @dmoravera.bsky.social · 29/04/2026
Yet Rocha has managed to remain in power. He is closely aligned with former president AMLO, still a powerful figure inside Morena ruling party. Now Rocha is framing the indictment as an attack on the entire party, raising the stakes for Sheinbaum.
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David Mora @dmoravera.bsky.social · 29/04/2026
Beyond those allegations, let's not forget Rocha+Sheinbaum have been ineffective in stopping the bloodshed originating from the Cartel’s internal struggle. Since Sep 2024, internal fractures in the cartel triggered a brutal conflict between factions, leaving thousands dead, missing, or displaced.
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David Mora @dmoravera.bsky.social · 29/04/2026
This isn’t coming out of nowhere. For years, there have been persistent allegations linking Rocha to Los Chapitos. U.S. officials used to keep their distance long before this indictment. Even within Mexico, trust is short. Sheinbaum has already tightened control over Sinaloa’s security apparatus.
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David Mora @dmoravera.bsky.social · 29/04/2026
Washington is asking Mexico to arrest and extradite all defendants. That puts President Sheinbaum in a bind. Complying damages her own party. Refusing further escalates tensions with the U.S.
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David Mora @dmoravera.bsky.social · 29/04/2026
USG just unsealed major indictment against Sinaloa gov Rubén Rocha + 8 current/former officials, charged with drug trafficking & weapons offenses. DOJ alleges Los Chapitos, one of Sinaloa Cartel’s main factions, would have helped Rocha win office in exchange for protection. Rocha denied everything.
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Reposted by David Mora
Crisis Group Latinoamérica @latam.crisisgroup.org · 21/04/2026
🗒️ NEW ANALYST NOTEBOOK | Long Wait for Results in Peru’s Elections Ratchets Up Tensions Crisis Group expert @glaeldys.bsky.social examines the reasons for the delay and the implications of the first-round outcomes for the country’s next government.
crisisgroup.org
Long Wait for Results in Peru’s Elections Ratchets Up Tensions | International Crisis Group
Crisis Group expert Glaeldys González Calanche examines the reasons for the delay and the implications of the first-round outcomes for the country’s next government
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David Mora @dmoravera.bsky.social · 26/03/2026
Manzanillo accounts for much of Mexico’s illegal traffic. Chemical precursors get in; wood, wildlife and mercury go out. Mislabeling, corrupt authorities, strained port workers, limited scanning and inspection are all factors that help covering criminal activity under legit trade.
A montage of the Manzanillo port during daylight, a Manzanillo beach at sunset and the port at night.
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Reposted by David Mora
Crisis Group Latinoamérica @latam.crisisgroup.org · 06/03/2026
NEW Q&A | U.S. Snaps up Venezuela’s Oil and Rare Minerals in Race for Supplies Even before the price of oil spiked, the Trump administration was eyeing Venezuela’s natural resources. In this Q&A, Crisis Group experts explain the challenges lying ahead.
crisisgroup.org
U.S. Snaps up Venezuela’s Oil and Rare Minerals in Race for Supplies | International Crisis Group
Even before the price of oil spiked, the Trump administration was eyeing Venezuela’s natural resources. There is now more urgency to getting access to petroleum and critical minerals. In this Q&A, Cri...
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Reposted by David Mora
Crisis Group @crisisgroup.org · 02/03/2026
NEW Q&A | Can the U.S. Cutoff Bring Change to Cuba? Cuba is facing its biggest humanitarian crisis and the greatest threat to its political status quo in decades. In this Q&A, we explain the causes of the island’s predicament and offer ways of easing it. www.crisisgroup.org/qna/latin-am...
crisisgroup.org
Hunger in Havana: Can the U.S. Cutoff Bring Change to Cuba? | International Crisis Group
Cuba is facing its biggest humanitarian crisis and the greatest threat to its political status quo in decades, after the U.S. clamped down on its energy supply. In this Q&A, Crisis Group explains the ...
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Reposted by David Mora
RUSI @rusi.bsky.social · 26/02/2026
Join us on 3 March for a timely webinar where RUSI experts and associates will explore the security, political and wider implications of the death of the leader of Mexico’s Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), ‘El Mencho’.
my.rusi.org
Webinar: After El Mencho: Mexico's Criminal Landscape
This timely webinar brings leading experts together to explore the security, political and wider implications of the death of CJNG leader, ‘El Mencho'.
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Reposted by David Mora
Crisis Group Latinoamérica @latam.crisisgroup.org · 27/02/2026
📌 Join @crisisgroup.org's @dmoravera.bsky.social on Tuesday, 3 March, for a @rusi.bsky.social webinar on Mexico's criminal landscape after the killing of the leader of the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel. ⏰ 14:00 – 15:30 GMT Register here 🔽 my.rusi.org/events/webin...
my.rusi.org
Webinar: After El Mencho: Mexico's Criminal Landscape
This timely webinar brings leading experts together to explore the security, political and wider implications of the death of CJNG leader, ‘El Mencho’.
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Reposted by David Mora
Crisis Group @crisisgroup.org · 23/02/2026
NEW ANALYST'S NOTEBOOK | Killing of Mexican Cartel Boss Brings Diplomatic Victory and Domestic Mayhem @dmoravera.bsky.social analyses the potential fallout of the operation against the leader of the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel. www.crisisgroup.org/anb/latin-am...
crisisgroup.org
Killing of Mexican Cartel Boss Brings Diplomatic Victory and Domestic Mayhem | International Crisis Group
Crisis Group expert David Mora analyses how the operation against the leader of the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel could affect relations with the United States and security at home
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David Mora @dmoravera.bsky.social · 23/02/2026
But the security test is not today or tomorrow. The gov is already reinforcing troops to contain the violent response. The real challenge comes ahead: w/o clear heir, remaining Cartel leadership could dispute control. The Cartel’s turf wars with an array of local groups could worsen too.
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David Mora @dmoravera.bsky.social · 23/02/2026
Guadalajara hosted its 1/2 marathon today. Over 10k runners came from out of state. Many tried returning home but state highways were blocked and the airport closed. A runner getting food next to me couldn’t go back to Colima, she’ll try tomorrow if conditions allow.
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David Mora @dmoravera.bsky.social · 23/02/2026
Businesses closed early in the morning. On Chapultepec, a main thoroughfare, there’s only one taco stall selling food. Line is long. Doctor behind me says he is buying food for some patients — his hospital ran out of meals. This city is expected to host World Cup matches in a few months.
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David Mora @dmoravera.bsky.social · 23/02/2026
MX Army killed El Mencho today. A win for Sheinbaum. USG is happy too. The Cartel was quick to react setting buses, trucks and businesses on fire, blockading streets and highways. Locals? Terrified. I’m in Guadalajara, a city that virtually emptied out. No public transport, people sheltered in place
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Reposted by David Mora
Elizabeth Dickinson @dickinsonbeth.bsky.social · 12/02/2026
Hoy no se puede hablar de la naturaleza del conflicto armado en #Colombia sin reconocer que hay niños y niñas obligados a participar en todas sus dimensiones. Hoy, escribo en @elpaisamerica.bsky.social sobre el reclutamiento de menores @latam.crisisgroup.org elpais.com/america-colo...
elpais.com
Colombia está perdiendo a sus niños en la guerra
El uso de niños combatientes es tanto una consecuencia de la evolución del conflicto como un factor que acelera esas dinámicas
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Reposted by David Mora
Crisis Group Latinoamérica @latam.crisisgroup.org · 11/02/2026
MAÑANA | Nuevo informe
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David Mora @dmoravera.bsky.social · 11/02/2026
Beyond the motive, these attacks show the conflict is far from over. Government intervention remains largely reactive, entire communities still under the sway of criminal outfits, and victims still need to see justice (and 1000s disappeared need to be found)
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David Mora @dmoravera.bsky.social · 11/02/2026
A third hypothesis: a show of force. Chapitos may be engaging in high-profile attacks to counter the narrative that they’re losing. They have lost significant territory to Mayos, including parts of southern Sinaloa, where the miners were taken.
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David Mora @dmoravera.bsky.social · 11/02/2026
Extortion, then? Possible. Mining in the area, large and small ops, is often taxed derecho de piso. Criminal groups sometimes take over operations, especially smaller ones. But to sustain that theory, we’d need to know whether the company had faced prior threats.
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David Mora @dmoravera.bsky.social · 11/02/2026
That explanation feels too simplistic. (1) At this stage of the Chapitos/Mayos/Other factions fighting, violence is highly targeted, not random. (2) The victims were miners, an identifiable group with ties to foreign interests. That’s not an easy error to make.
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David Mora @dmoravera.bsky.social · 11/02/2026
Violence in Sinaloa hasn’t stopped. In just two weeks: mass kidnappings and overtly political attacks. The MX gov says Chapitos were behind them. On the abduction of 10 miners (at least 5 killed), Sec. Harfuch said it was a case of mistaken identity, Chapitos allegedly thought they were with Mayos.
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diegodarin.bsky.social @diegodarin.bsky.social · 10/02/2026
This weekend, #Haiti entered a third chapter in its political transition since the 2021 slaying of President Jovenel Moïse. As the presidential council’s mandate expired, Prime Minister Didier Fils-Aimé became the sole head of the executive. Here’s what happened and what might come next 🔽
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Crisis Group Latinoamérica @latam.crisisgroup.org · 05/02/2026
📒 NEW ANALYST’S NOTEBOOK | U.S. Gunboats Patrol Haiti’s Waters amid Wrangling over a New Government Crisis Group expert @diegodarin.bsky.social assesses the political deadlock in Haiti and the motives behind the deployment of U.S. naval vessels off Port-au-Prince.
crisisgroup.org
U.S. Gunboats Patrol Haiti’s Waters amid Wrangling over a New Government | International Crisis Group
Crisis Group expert Diego Da Rin assesses the political deadlock in Haiti and the motives behind the deployment of U.S. naval vessels off Port-au-Prince
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Reposted by David Mora
Crisis Group Latinoamérica @latam.crisisgroup.org · 26/01/2026
📽️ NEW VIDEO | Living in Fear: How Gang Violence Is Reshaping Ecuador Crisis Group’s expert @glaeldys.bsky.social explains why Ecuadorian criminal groups have grown so precipitously since 2021, and the impact of the government’s strategy to deploy the military to combat insecurity.
youtube.com
Living in Fear: How Gang Violence Is Reshaping Ecuador
YouTube video by International Crisis Group
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Reposted by David Mora
Crisis Group @crisisgroup.org · 22/01/2026
NEW ANALYST’S NOTEBOOK | Mexico Seeks to Placate White House with Mass Criminal Transfer David Mora assesses the latest handover of convicts and criminal suspects amid threats of U.S. military action on Mexican soil. www.crisisgroup.org/alr/latin-am...
crisisgroup.org
Mexico Seeks to Placate White House with Mass Criminal Transfer | International Crisis Group
Crisis Group expert David Mora assesses the latest handover of convicts and criminal suspects amid threats of U.S. military action on Mexican soil.
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Reposted by David Mora
Shipwreck @shipwreck75.bsky.social · 22/01/2026
www.crisisgroup.org/alr/latin-am...
crisisgroup.org
Mexico Seeks to Placate White House with Mass Criminal Transfer | International Crisis Group
Crisis Group expert David Mora assesses the latest handover of convicts and criminal suspects amid threats of U.S. military action on Mexican soil.
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Shipwreck @shipwreck75.bsky.social · 22/01/2026
Following days of increasingly strident demands from U.S. President Donald Trump for concrete results in Mexico’s anti-crime fight, President Claudia Sheinbaum on 20 January transferred 37 members of criminal groups to U.S. custody.
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Elizabeth Dickinson @dickinsonbeth.bsky.social · 21/01/2026
#Mexico transferred 37 prisoners to the US in a move to quell tensions, as Washington once again threatens strikes on drug trafficking groups Yet renditions to the US have tended to escalate violence in Mexico. My colleague @dmoravera.bsky.social explains 👇 www.crisisgroup.org/alr/latin-am...
crisisgroup.org
Mexico Seeks to Placate White House with Mass Criminal Transfer | International Crisis Group
Crisis Group expert David Mora assesses the latest handover of convicts and criminal suspects amid threats of U.S. military action on Mexican soil.
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David Mora @dmoravera.bsky.social · 20/01/2026
Delivering results for Trump is not necessarily delivering for the folks here who've bear the brunt of conflict here. Much more needs to be addressed beyond more high-profile transfers. btw, this is the view from where I am:
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David Mora @dmoravera.bsky.social · 20/01/2026
A displaced community leader told me he’s returned home now that Mayos control the area (and the many legal/illegal industries here: logging, mining, cattle, traffic routes). He expects less violence now but many neighbors haven’t come back yet: health workers, teachers, entire families.
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David Mora @dmoravera.bsky.social · 20/01/2026
I just visited Sinaloa's sierra sur and violence hasn’t eased in there. January is on track to be one of the deadliest months since the cartel split. Fighting has spread beyond Culiacán, with Mayos advancing into former Chapitos land.
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David Mora @dmoravera.bsky.social · 20/01/2026
The transfer will also barely change reality on the ground. Among those transferred are key Sinaloa figures, including Pedro Insunza Coronel. He’s one of the first suspects charged under Trump 2.0 with narcoterrorism and providing material support to an FTO. Mex forces captured him on Dec 31.
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David Mora @dmoravera.bsky.social · 20/01/2026
The move helps Sheinbaum immediately but tension among the two govs remain. The Trump admin has implied that Sheinbaum’s strategy to double down on drug seizures, captures and decline of homicides is “unacceptable incremental progress” – further pushing the idea of U.S. forces on the ground.
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David Mora @dmoravera.bsky.social · 20/01/2026
Sheinbaum just handed over 37 cartel suspects to U.S. custody. After the U.S. attack in Caracas, Mexico needs to deliver clear wins for Trump to further deter any U.S. unilateral military move. This is it. Some quick thoughts from Sinaloa, where I am doing fieldwork this week:
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Reposted by David Mora
Elizabeth Dickinson @dickinsonbeth.bsky.social · 14/01/2026
After US operations in Venezuela, the ELN has taken steps to ensure its interests are safe, regardless what happens in Caracas. Today I write in @nytopinion.nytimes.com, the ELN stands emboldened to threaten communities, Colombia, and US ambition in Venezuela 👇 www.nytimes.com/2026/01/14/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | Something Bad Is Brewing on Venezuela’s Border
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Reposted by David Mora
Crisis Group Latinoamérica @latam.crisisgroup.org · 09/01/2026
NUEVA DECLARACIÓN | Venezuela después de Maduro: ¿Transacción o transición? EE.UU.ha decapitado al Gobierno venezolano. Su anuncio de que “gobernará” el país después de marginar a la oposición corre el riesgo de dejar a los venezolanos en una peor situación.
crisisgroup.org
Venezuela después de Maduro: ¿Transacción o transición? | International Crisis Group
La administración Trump ha decapitado al Gobierno venezolano mediante una espectacular incursión militar en la capital y el traslado del presidente Nicolás Maduro a una cárcel estadounidense. Su anunc...
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Crisis Group Latinoamérica @latam.crisisgroup.org · 15/12/2025
📑 NEW REPORT | Undoing Haiti’s Deadly Gang Alliance A gang coalition has pushed violence in Haiti to alarming levels. As a new foreign force takes shape, plans must be in place not just to overpower criminal groups but also to persuade them to disband. www.crisisgroup.org/latin-americ...
crisisgroup.org
Undoing Haiti’s Deadly Gang Alliance | International Crisis Group
The Viv Ansanm gang coalition has pushed the violence wracking Haiti to alarming levels. As a new foreign force takes shape, it is vital that plans be in place not just to overpower the criminal group...
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