Amid a reported increase in maritime piracy in the Gulf of Mexico, Erin Drake considers the drivers of such attacks, and whether the economic impact of Covid-19 has contributed to the expansion of maritime crime in the area.
Ahead of several elections in 2021, Erin Drake considers the prospects for the commercial operating environment in Latin America, amid widespread socio-economic protests against right-leaning governments.
The pandemic has not only resulted in operational and financial challenges for the shipping industry but has also contributed to an increase in maritime attacks, writes Saif Islam.
Virtual kidnappings increased in North America during the Covid-19 pandemic, as people spent more time online and increased their exposure to such scams. However, even as lockdowns lift, the profitable and low-risk nature of such crimes will continue to drive incidents in the coming year, writes Erin Drake.
In some countries, the Covid-19 pandemic has allowed criminal groups to diversify and expand their operations. This could threaten foreign businesses and staff in affected countries in the coming year, writes Erin Drake.
In some Latin American countries, the Covid-19 pandemic has expanded and strengthened the role of security forces, providing increased opportunities for corrupt officials to engage in extortive practices, wrongful detentions and other crimes with greater impunity, writes Erin Drake.
Criminals in Mexico have increasingly sought to use hotels for staging virtual kidnap attempts. Erin Drake considers the methods and tactics used by kidnappers to carry out a fake abduction.
Criminal groups have experienced reduced revenue in the Covid-19 lockdown period. As criminals look to bolster their diminishing income in the coming months, they will likely aim to intensify and diversify extortion and kidnap activities, writes Erin Drake.
In recent months, kidnappings have increased in Haiti. Emboldened by widespread political instability, violent protests, and the recent COVID-19 outbreak, criminals will continue to make use of the country’s unstable security environment to step up kidnapping activities, writes Erin Drake.
The Covid-19 pandemic is having an unprecedented impact on people, politics and business around the world. Many governments have introduced lockdowns of varying degrees to contain the pandemic. These measures, enforced by the police and sometimes the military, have brought down crime rates even in some of the most violent countries around the world.…
S-RM asked John White, Head of Crisis Preparation, to give his insights into how businesses should be preparing themselves for the wide variety of threats climate change poses, whether these relate to the resource scarcity, adverse weather conditions, or physical security.
Resource scarcity has historically contributed to – and prolonged – various conflicts, both between states, as well as between communities or groups within states.