Crime and corruption in the shadows of
the world's largest rainforest

Amazon Under World

Between May 2022 and July 2023, our team of 37 journalists and media professionals from 11 countries ventured into rarely explored corners of the Amazon to understand its criminal ecosystem.

We spent one year investigating this intricate scenario and gaining insights into the forces that drive the protagonists of the Amazon Underworld to engage in illicit activities that have a devastating impact on Amazonian communities and the environment.

Amazon Underworld includes a database that enabled us to map the presence of armed groups on the countries’ Amazonian borders and a series of in-depth reports on various aspects of the region’s organized criminal enterprises, many of which have received little or no media coverage.

PRESENCE OF ORGANIZED CRIME AND ARMED GROUPS

To build this database, we consulted primary sources and documents in all the Amazonian border municipalities of Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia.

Our Methodology

EXPLORE THE STORIES

This route begins with an overview of the Amazon Underworld, then takes you to areas of illegal gold mining and cultivation of drug crops, following trafficking routes that cut through the heart of the jungle. Criminals take advantage of the region’s porous borders, countless rivers and myriad clandestine airstrips to transport drugs and gold that feed insatiable global markets.

READ MORE ABOUT THE AMAZON UNDERWORLD

The stories on this platform provide a comprehensive overview of cross-border organized crime, but there’s more to the Amazon Underworld.

Click here for additional stories

Methodology

This visualization is a comprehensive attempt to map the presence of armed groups throughout the Amazon. Here, the most significant armed groups and criminal organizations are individually identified and represented, while smaller criminal outfits are grouped under the category 'others.' As we continue our research, we expect to identify trends over time and expand our research capacity.

To gather information about the presence of organized crime structures and armed groups throughout the Amazon, between April 2022 and July 2023, we conducted interviews with primary sources in the territory, researched documents from state agencies and civil society groups, and filed petitions for information. The interviewees mainly consist of people who have direct contact with armed actors and illicit economies. This diverse group includes Indigenous leaders, community members, church leaders, law enforcement officials, intelligence personnel, public prosecutors, local businesspeople, gang members and individuals involved in illicit economies. We have kept identities anonymous.

Our researchers used different methodologies depending on the country and access. Nonetheless, a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods was used for all countries. Because of the diversity of our sources, the level of detail in the information varies per municipality.