Organized Criminal Groups in Latin America

Undergraduate / Graduate

Many areas in Latin America suffer with organized criminal violence, one of the most significant urban and national security challenges of the 21st century. This violence is promoted by armed non-state groups such as drug trafficking organizations, guerrillas, militias, mafias, warlords, gangs, and vigilantes that have established subnational criminal governance regimes and dictate important parameters of social, economic, and political life. Through the state is frequently distant and negligent in areas controlled by these groups, it is never entirely absent. Many residents in territories dominated by these groups attend schools, visit health clinics, receive cash transfers, continue to vote and work in formal parts of the city. How can organized criminal groups can thrive in functional democracies with institutions to provide public goods, including security and justice? This course will examine this issue with a theoretical and empirical focus on Latin America.