Drugs, violence, and state-sponsored protection rackets in Mexico and Colombia/ Drogas, violencia y redes extorsivas con apoyo del Estado en Mexico y Colombia

Illegality does not necessarily breed violence. The relationship between illicit markets and violence depends on institutions of protection. When state-sponsored protection rackets form, illicit markets can be peaceful. Conversely, the breakdown of state-sponsored protection rackets, which may resul...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Colombia internacional 2009-07 (70), p.61
Main Authors: Snyder, Richard, Martinez, Angelica Duran
Format: Article
Language:eng ; spa
Subjects:
Drug dealing
Drug traffic
Laws, regulations and rules
Violence
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Summary:Illegality does not necessarily breed violence. The relationship between illicit markets and violence depends on institutions of protection. When state-sponsored protection rackets form, illicit markets can be peaceful. Conversely, the breakdown of state-sponsored protection rackets, which may result from well-meaning policy reforms intended to reduce corruption and improve law enforcement, can lead to violence. The cases of drug trafficking in contemporary Mexico and Colombia show how a focus on the emergence and breakdown of state-sponsored protection rackets helps explain variation in levels of violence both within and across illicit markets.
ISSN:0121-5612
1900-6004