The Lusófona Centre on Global Challenges (LusoGlobe) hosted the First International Symposium on Illicit Markets between Brazil and Iberian Europe on 9 and 10 October 2026 at Lusófona University in Lisbon. The event brought together researchers and experts from Brazilian, Portuguese, and Spanish institutions to examine the growing complexity of illicit markets and their implications for transnational security, international cooperation, and governance across the Atlantic.
The symposium provided an interdisciplinary forum for discussing the interconnected dynamics of arms trafficking, human trafficking, irregular pesticide trade, environmental crimes, and cybercrime. Particular attention was given to the ways in which illicit networks operated across maritime routes, digital infrastructures, and overlapping institutional and regulatory environments, creating challenges for national authorities and international cooperation mechanisms.
The event featured contributions from Ana Luiza da Gama e Souza (Fluminense Federal University), Carmen Jordá Sanz (Universidad Camilo José Cela), Carolina Sampó (Complutense University of Madrid), Lara Denise Góes da Costa (Brazilian War College), Letícia Veloso (Fluminense Federal University), Sabrina Evangelista Medeiros (Lusófona University), and Silvia Mangerona (Lusófona University).
The programme included a roundtable discussion on 9 October, followed by a thematic workshop on 10 October. These sessions created opportunities for exchanging research perspectives, exploring methodological approaches, and identifying areas for future academic and institutional collaboration.
The symposium contributed to strengthening scientific cooperation between Brazil and Iberian Europe, highlighting the importance of comparative and interdisciplinary research in understanding illicit economies and their wider implications for security, development, human rights, and environmental sustainability.
The initiative also reinforced LusoGlobe's commitment to international research collaboration and to advancing critical discussions on global challenges. Through dialogue among researchers from different institutional and national backgrounds, the event supported the development of shared research agendas and approaches to addressing transnational insecurities.
The symposium was organised by LusoGlobe in collaboration with Fluminense Federal University (UFF), the Graduate Programme in Social Sciences in Development, Agriculture and Society (CPDA), and REDHIPAS, with support from the Rio de Janeiro State Research Foundation (FAPERJ) and Brazil's National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq).