Professor Maria Micaela Sviatschi presented her research on organized crime in Latin America at several recent summits and conferences, sharing the policy implications of her findings with key stakeholders across the globe.

Sviatschi spoke about her latest  research at the Evidence in Government and Politics (EGAP) regional meeting in Rio de Janeiro (October 2024), and at the IMF Conference on Crime in Latin America in Washington DC (November 2024). Her recent paper, “Organized Crime: Causes, Consequences, and Potential Policies,” found that potential solutions can include economic incentives for children to stay in school  as well as preventing gang recruitment.

The research has clear relevance for governments seeking to mitigate organized crime. To this end, Sviatschi spoke in a keynote panel at Barbados’s Regional Security and Justice Summit (December 2024, Bridgetown). The summit served as the official launch for the Government of Barbados’s new Alliance for Security, Justice, and Development. The Alliance aims to combat the growing presence of organized crime in the region by protecting vulnerable populations and communities, strengthening security and justice institutions, and reducing financial flows into illicit markets. Sviatschi also presented her findings to the Advisory Council of Carabinieri Generals in Chile to promote practical policy actions shaped by research.

Sviatschi’s work has been recognized by her inclusion in a new collaborative program launched by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab Latin America and the Caribbean (J-PAL LAC). As one of the inaugural visiting researchers, Sviatschi’s ongoing studies will be used to inform real-world policy decisions in the IDB’s justice priority area.