Veracruz, Mexico sees political‑criminal alliances as amateur crime rises in Latin America

In Veracruz’s highland municipalities, criminal groups have forged alliances with political parties such as Movimiento Ciudadano, the PAN and the MC to dominate local government, control municipal treasuries, public works and police forces, and place armed enforcers in office. The column notes that these arrangements allow cartels like the Jalisco New Generation Cartel to secure corridors for smuggling and other illicit activities, while politicians gain electoral footholds.

A separate commentary from Argentina highlights the surge of “amateur” street crime – moto‑thieves, opportunistic robbers and violent assaults – that thrives amid perceived state inaction. The piece argues that this low‑level violence is economically driven, with stolen goods quickly resold in informal markets, and that it poses a lethal threat despite lacking the organization of major cartels.