World View: Drug Cartel Networks Move to Honduras from Mexico, Colombia

World View: Drug Cartel Networks Move to Honduras from Mexico, Colombia

This morning’s key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com

  • Vatican Bank reacts to allegations of international money-laundering
  • Drug cartel networks move to Honduras from Mexico and Colombia

Vatican Bank reacts to allegations of international money-laundering

Vatican Bank
Vatican Bank

For the first time in its history, the Institute for the Works ofReligion (IOR), usually referred to as the Vatican Bank, has publishedan annual report. According to the report, the 2012 earnings are 86.6million euros, with 5 billion euros in assets.

At the same time, the IOR may be forced to close all its internationalembassy accounts. This is consequence of a three-year investigationthat appears to indicate that Iran, Iraq and Indonesia have been usingthe IOR to launder tens of millions of dollars. The investigationbegan in 2009, but was blocked several times by other Vaticanofficials. When Francis became Pope several months ago, he revivedthe investigation, resulting in the resignation on July 1 of thedirector of the Vatican Bank under allegations of money laundering.Catholic Herald and Reuters

Drug cartel networks move to Honduras from Mexico and Colombia

Because of counter-narcotics policies in Colombia and Mexico organizedcrime syndicates have been forced relocate to other Latin Americancountries, where they’re meeting a lot less resistance. The model isVenezuela, where deals between drug gangs and Hugo Chávez turnedVenezuela into a narcostate. Now, Honduras is being targeted, thanksto the political chaos that followed the 2009 attempt by the MarxistChávez acolyte Manuel Zelaya to illegally modify the constitution.Zelaya’s Marxist allies are encouraging drug trafficking in Hondurasin order to make the country ungovernable, allowing a Marxist coup.By 2011, Honduras had one of the highest homicide rates in the world,with 91.6 homicides per 100,000 residents. Today, the US StateDepartment’s 2013 International Narcotics Control Strategy Reportestimates “87 percent of all cocaine smuggling flights departing SouthAmerica first land in Honduras.” AEI

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