Prof. Celina Realuyo

On August 10, 2023, Perry Center Professor Celina Realuyo spoke on transnational organized crime and its impact on state capacity in the Americas at the World Compliance Forum 2023 in Bogota, Colombia. She explained how transnational organized crime enriched by illicit financial flows is becoming a national security threat to the Western Hemisphere and challenging governments’ ability to guarantee security, prosperity and democracy in the region. The Forum, organized by FELADE (Foundation for the Study of Money Laundering and Crime) and University for Peace, convened 350 professionals from the public, private and civic sectors from across Latin America to discuss latest threats and countermeasures to combat money laundering and terrorist financing. According to Global Financial Integrity, Latin American countries face a complex and challenging landscape of financial crimes that have made it one of the most violent regions in the world and large amounts of illicit proceeds being laundered.