Its influence is felt especially in urban areas of Montevideo and border areas, and occupies the attention of the press, political debate and public concern.

This is the opinion of an article in the independent media La Diaria, signed by Magdalena Domínguez, PhD in Economics from the University of Barcelona and researcher at the London School of Economics and Political Science.

The study mentions the growing perception of insecurity and vulnerability among citizens.

It takes into account a recent report by the Usina de Percepción Ciudadana, according to which 56% of those surveyed indicated that security in the country is bad or very bad, while 69% perceive an increase in homicides.

At the same time, organized crime is behind the robbery and extortion of local businesses, which creates uncertainty and affects financial stability and economic growth at the community level, he adds.

This also leads to a lack of investment in these areas and impacts the labor market. Economic studies have shown that people living in gang-controlled areas have less material well-being, income and education, according to the publication.

It adds that young people in these areas are particularly vulnerable as they are pushed into illicit activities in search of income, thus perpetuating a vicious cycle of crime, poverty and low schooling.

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