By 2025, the intersection of organized crime and authoritarian regimes has consolidated as one of the primary threats to hemispheric security. Venezuela stands as a paradigmatic case: networks such as the Cartel of the Suns and Tren de Aragua operate in alignment with state structures, expanding into neighboring countries and producing direct impacts on migration flows, illicit economies, and democratic governance.
Leading scholars and activists, including Pedro Urruchurtu, Ronna Rísquez, and Rosa María Payá, will join together in a panel discussion at the Victims of Communism Museum on September 18, 2025 to examine the convergence between organized crime and authoritarian regimes in Latin America, highlighting how criminal networks are embedded into state structures to perpetuate authoritarian rule. Rodrigo Diamanti of the Un Mundo Sin Mordaza and Genesis Dávila of Defiende Venezuela will moderate. Speakers will also address recent policy actions from the United States and the broader international community, which have placed this issue at the forefront of hemispheric security and democracy agendas.
We hope to see you there.
