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= Organised crime in Colombia = Organised crime is defined as criminal activities that are planned and controlled by large criminal groups, on a national to multinational scale. Colombia has seen the rise and fall of drug empires, crime syndicates and organised guerrilla groups, all of which having contributed to the varying forms of organised crimes having occurred in Colombia.

Types of crime
There are a plethora of gang-related crimes committed within Colombia including but not limited to;

·        Illicit drug trafficking
Colombia’s illicit drug trade is the largest in the world, approximately half of the worlds Cocaine is produced in Colombia. In 2016 18 million people used the drug worldwide, consuming some of the 100,000's of tones produced annually in the Andean region. Annually there is in excess of 150 tonnes of cocaine seized by Colombia's defence ministry, a small portion of the 1,400 produced annually.

·        Government corruption and white-collar crime
Modern times has seen the establishment of corruption deep within political and financial structures, cartels such as the Medellín and Cali have directly intervened in government structures with the assassination of important figures such as; Rodrigo Lara (minister of justice), Jaime Pardo Leal (a former presidential candidate), and Antonio Roldan Betancur (former governor of Antioquia). Alternatively large donations and bribes given to political officials and police officers, has lead to the turning of a 'blind eye' to specific organised criminal activities. The Cali cartel for example were responsible for the donation of US$6 Million towards Ernesto Samper Pizano's presidential election, in an attempt to boost his chances of campaign victory.

·        Kidnapping / robberies / violence
Kidnapping is one of the most prominent forms of crimes committed, where gangs and guerrilla groups kidnap or rob rich businessmen or tourists for their perceived wealth. There has been a 90% reduction in kidnappings from 2002-2016 according to 2019 OSAC statistics, largely due to government intervention. Modern approaches to kidnappings and robberies have ensued following crackdown on street and gang crime, with the usage of 'Express Kidnappings,' or ' paseo millionario' lasting not over 48 hours where a single person is forced to withdraw all possible funds out of ATM's and forfeit any valuables either on their person or from their own private dwelling. It is not uncommon for kidnappings to end violently with grievous harm inflicted upon the victim, with the city of Cali  (previous home of the Cali drug-cartel) boasting a homicide rate of 51 per 100,000 people (2017).

Medellín Cartel
The Medellín Cartel is perhaps one of the most famous of all cartels throughout history, their leader Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria (/ˈɛskəbɑːr/, Spanish: [ˈpaβlo eˈmiljo eskoˈβaɾ ɣaˈβiɾja]; 1 December 1949 – 2 December 1993) or better known as Pablo escobar 'The king of cocaine,' is perhaps the most notorious narco-terrorist / drug lord of all time. The Medellín cartel in their peak was supplying an estimated 80-90% of the US cocaine market, turning over US $100 million in profits per day. The Medellín cartel differed to smaller cartels, as it was extremely organised and vastly influential within its varied socio-economic spheres, corrupting Colombia over a course of almost 20 years. Their leader Pablo, was highly influential within the group, responsible for bribing police and paying off politicians to work in their favour. The Medellín cartel was responsible for the murders of some 4000 people, including 1000 police officers / journalists, 200 judges and government officials and even the likes of presidential candidate Luis Carlos Galán.

Cali Cartel
The Cali cartel is arguably the biggest cartel in history controlling 90% of the global cocaine market, with connections in all 7 continents. They were especially notorious for their utilisation and infiltration of government and political structures, with complete surveillance covering the city of Santiago de Cali. Their spy networks permeated the Colombian state and overseas structures, with their coverage being compared to the 'Soviet KGB' by the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

Guerrilla groups
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Geography
The tropical, equatorial climate of Colombia allows for the efficient production and cultivation of crop such as bananas, rice, corn, sugarcane, cannabis and coca plant, coca plant alone covering an expanse of 25,000 hectares. The typical sub-minimum wages farmers have historically received has led to the formation of coca plantations, due to its lucrative nature and pressures from criminal syndicates. To combat the production of coca plant, the United Nations signed a US$300 Million subsidy (around $300 per month) to not grow coca. The intense foliage coverage has laid host to various nefarious criminal activities, with many criminal syndicates locating their bases of operations deep in forest areas, devoid of outsider surveillance.

The close proximity of Colombia to the Amazon rain forest and the Caribbean sea has paved the way for smuggling routes to neighbouring countries such as Venezuela and Ecuador, and further the North Americas'. The intense foliage of the amazon has assisted with Cartel and guerrilla transportation of contraband, and the vast ocean access to northern American ports has allowed for a multitude of bootleg goods to go by unnoticed.

History
-1970’s


 * Saw poor farmers introduce cannabis crops to their farming methods, as it provided a far greater return to their regular produce.
 * Cocaine paste smuggled in from Peru and Bolivia provided the starting roots for the illicit drug trade in Colombia.
 * 'Drug craze' of the United States saw opportunity for criminal groups to make a lucrative living, producing and smuggling drugs.

-1980’s


 * The emergence of the first major drug cartel's; that of the Medellín and the Cali
 * Colombia's many guerrilla groups shifting to criminal activities, such as kidnappings and robberies as a means to finance their ventures. Guerrilla groups include; the Popular Liberation Army (Ejército Popular de Liberación or EPL),The National Liberation Army (Ejército de Liberación Nacional or ELN), The 19th of April Movement (M-19), and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia or simply FARC).
 * Cocaine production shifted to Colombia
 * 1982 new U.S - Colombia 'Extradition treaty' mandated the extradition of trans-national narcotics traffickers to the U.S for trial for crimes
 * Medellín cartel blows up Avianca flight 203, in an attempt to assassinate Cesar Gaviria Trujillo (a presidential candidate) killing 107 people.

-1990's


 * 1993 Medellín cartel collapse
 * 1995 Cali cartel fall

-2000’s


 * A new generation dubbed 'The invisibles' takes over cocaine production and distribution.These 'Invisibles' are often successful businessmen operating large businesses / organisations, utilising their legitimate product as a facade for their underlying drug production and distribution.