Terrorism Financing: Between Traditional Financing and Crypto Assets.
Terrorism financing (TF) is a crime associated with the funds and/or assets that support terrorists or terrorist groups to operate. This financing can be used to purchase weapons, cover the logistics of terrorist actions, train members, among other activities. TF poses a risk to national security as it can encourage the development of criminal activities and threaten the political stability and economy of a country. Regionally, the Financial Action Task Force of Latin America (GAFILAT) defines TF as "any assistance, support, or conspiracy, whether directly or indirectly, to collect funds with the intention of using them to commit a terrorist act; whether by an individual author or a terrorist organization. They can be both lawful and unlawful funds."
In Latin America, there are examples of recognized legal companies that have been linked to terrorist structures. For instance, the case of Chiquita Brands, a multinational company dedicated to the export of bananas, linked to financing activities for paramilitaries. On October 6, 2024, a Florida court in the United States ruled against executives of Chiquita Brands for having financed paramilitary groups in Colombia between 1997 and 2004. Chiquita Brands allegedly contributed 1.7 million dollars for the financing of these structures. In addition to financing paramilitary groups, Chiquita Brands also provided funds to the National Liberation Army (ELN), the last remaining guerrilla group in Colombia, and the demobilized Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), among other guerrilla groups. In total, through subsidiaries, the multinational delivered more than 800 thousand dollars, according to estimates from the National Security Archive.