Drug Trafficking, Criminal Violence, and the Role of International Cooperation--Dr. Nashira Chávez

In this episode, Dr. Jonathan D. Rosen sits down with Dr. Nashira Chávez to discuss drug trafficking, organized crime, criminal violence, and the role of international cooperation in Latin America. Drawing on her experience as a researcher, consultant, and practitioner who has worked across Latin America, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and with the United Nations, Dr. Chávez examines current trends in cocaine production and trafficking, the challenges of measuring organized crime, the relationship between criminal markets and violence, and the effectiveness of security policies throughout the region. The conversation explores cocaine cultivation in Colombia, Peru, and Bolivia, changing trafficking routes toward North America and Europe, the difficulties of estimating the size of illicit markets, environmental crimes such as illegal gold mining and deforestation, the debate over mano dura policies, and the importance of intelligence sharing, financial investigations, and international cooperation. Dr. Chávez also discusses why organized crime should be understood not only as a law enforcement challenge but also as a governance challenge requiring stronger institutions, prevention efforts, and international partnerships. #LatinAmerica #DrugTrafficking #OrganizedCrime #SecurityStudies #InternationalRelations #Criminology #ViolencePrevention #CitizenSecurity #TransnationalCrime #PublicPolicy TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Introduction and Dr. Nashira Chávez's Background 1:49 Trends in Drug Trafficking and Violence in Latin America 3:34 Shifting Cocaine Trafficking Routes and European Markets 5:29 Challenges Measuring Drugs, Crime, and Violence 6:31 Estimating the Cocaine Market and Seizure Data 8:47 Homicides, Underreporting, and Crime Statistics 10:37 Environmental Crime, Illegal Mining, and Deforestation 12:30 Financial Intelligence and Data Sharing Challenges 14:54 Drug Trafficking, Violence, and Public Policy 16:12 Does Drug Trafficking Cause Violence? 17:31 Criminal Market Structures and Violence 19:17 Competition, Fragmentation, and Criminal Governance 20:05 Mano Dura Policies and Their Limitations 21:46 Prevention, Protection, and Multi-Dimensional Strategies 22:35 International Cooperation Against Organized Crime 24:07 Why International Cooperation Is Necessary 25:32 International Frameworks and Regional Cooperation 27:46 Intelligence Sharing and Operational Challenges 28:24 Brazil-France Cooperation on Illegal Gold Mining 29:10 United Nations Assistance and U.S. Partnerships 30:01 Financial Intelligence and Money Laundering Challenges 31:17 Organized Crime as a Governance Problem 32:05 Final Thoughts and Closing Remarks Bio: Dr. Nashira Chávez’s work bridges policy, academic research, and field implementation in the areas of international relations and security. She focuses on developing strategies and policies to address transnational organized crime and enhancing citizen security initiatives across Latin America, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. She has experience in policy development, multi-stakeholder coordination, capacity-building, research, project management, and cross-cultural coordination. Check out more videos at:    / @drjonathandrosen