- In the first weeks of 2020, Latin America has seen three jailbreaks mounted by the region's most powerful criminal groups.
- The escapes reveal important challenges that remain for security policy in countries across the region - namely, the centrality of functioning prisons.
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This is an excerpt from a recent edition of the Latin America Risk Report, a newsletter by James Bosworth, founder of political-risk advisor Hxagon.
The three events below that occurred in early 2020 are unrelated to each other, but demonstrate several security lessons relevant to this year in Latin America.
- In Mexico City, Mexico, three members of the Sinaloa Cartel escaped a prison before they could be extradited to the United States.
- In El Progreso, Honduras, heavily armed men dressed in police and military uniforms stormed a courthouse and freed a top MS-13 leader who was being escorted to a court hearing.
- In Pedro Juan Caballero, Paraguay, over 75 prisoners escaped in a breakout arranged by the PCC. Some escaped through a tunnel while others walked out the front door.