DOCSLIB.ORG

BUILDING RESILIENT COMMUNITIES in MEXICO: Civic Responses to Crime and Violence

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
BUILDING RESILIENT COMMUNITIES in MEXICO: Civic Responses to Crime and Violence BUILDING RESILIENT COMMUNITIES IN MEXICO: Civic Responses to Crime and Violence Edited by David A. Shirk, Duncan Wood, and Eric L. Olson BUILDING RESILIENT COMMUNITIES IN MEXICO: Civic Responses to Crime and Violence Edited by David A. Shirk, Duncan Wood, and Eric L. Olson Woodrow Wilson University of San Diego International Center for Scholars Justice in Mexico Project One Woodrow Wilson Plaza 5998 Alcalá Park 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue NW San Diego, CA 92110 Washington, DC 20004-3027 www.justiceinmexico.org www.wilsoncenter.org/mexico ISBN: 978-1-938027-37-6 March 2014 THE WILSON CENTER, chartered by Congress as the official memorial to President Woodrow Wilson, is the nation’s key nonpartisan policy forum for tackling global issues through independent research and open dialogue to inform actionable ideas for Congress, the Administration, and the broader policy community. Conclusions or opinions expressed in Center publications and programs are those of the authors and speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Center staff, fellows, trustees, advisory groups, or any individuals or organizations that provide financial support to the Center. Please visit us online at www.wilsoncenter.org. Jane Harman, Director, President, and CEO BOARD OF TRUSTEES Thomas R. Nides, Chair Sander R. Gerber, Vice Chair Public members: James H. Billington, Librarian of Congress; G. Wayne Clough, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution; Arne Duncan, Secretary of Education; David Ferriero, Archivist of the United States; John F. Kerry, Secretary of State; Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services. Designated appointee of the president from within the federal government: Fred P. Hochberg, Chairman and President, Export-Import Bank of the United States Private Citizen members: Timothy Broas, John T. Casteen III, Charles E. Cobb Jr., Thelma Duggin, Carlos M. Gutierrez, Barry S. Jackson, Jane Watson Stetson WILSON NATIONAL CABINET Eddie & Sylvia Brown, Melva Bucksbaum & Raymond Learsy, Paul & Rose Carter, Armeane & Mary Choksi, Ambassadors Sue & Chuck Cobb, Lester Crown, Thelma Duggin, Judi Flom, Sander R. Gerber, Ambassador Joseph B. Gildenhorn & Alma Gildenhorn, Harman Family Foundation, Frank F. Islam, Willem Kooyker, Linda B. & Tobia G. Mercuro, Dr. Alexander V. Mirtchev, Wayne Rogers, B. Francis Saul II, Ginny & L. E. Simmons, Jane Stetson, Leo Zickler THE JUSTICE IN MEXICO PROJECT (JMP) is the continuation of a collaborative research initiative entitled the Project on Reforming the Administration of Justice in Mexico and launched by Wayne Cornelius and David Shirk at the Center for U.S.-Mexican Studies of University of California, San Diego (2002–2005). In 2005, David Shirk relocated the project and its funding to the Trans-Border Institute of the University of San Diego, which became the host institution for this multi-year research project on the administration of justice and the rule of law in Mexico until 2013. Now a free standing program based at the University of San Diego, the Justice in Mexico Project continues to promote analysis, dialogue, and policy solutions to address a variety of urgent problems related to security and violence, transparency and accountability, and justice and human rights issues in Mexico and the U.S.-Mexican border region. Focusing on these main research areas, the three-fold rationale for the Justice in Mexico Project is based on: (1) the need to decentralize analysis and reform efforts in Mexico, (2) the need for a greater emphasis on promoting effective reform and best practices, and (3) the need for a U.S.-based partner for helping to generate and disseminate analysis on Mexican initiatives. Acknowledgments The editors and authors of this book are deeply indebted to a wide range of people who assisted in its production and execution. At the Justice in Mexico Project, which is supported by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, we would like to acknowledge the research and administrative assistance of Gladys Avalos, Joan Draper, Christina Falcone, Diana Garcia, Kimberley Heinle, Traci Merrill, Cory Molzahn, Maria Preciado, Lorena Quezada, Maritza Rodriguez, Susan Szakonyi, and Mike Williams. At the Mexico Institute we would like to recognize the assistance of those interns who helped with research for this project, including Pedro Ramirez, Eugenio Weigend Vargas, Ashley Nelcy Garcia, and Laura Kauer. We would also like to recognize the review and editing contributions of David Gaddis Smith, Miguel Salazar, and Christopher Wilson. However, our biggest vote of thanks and deepest appreciation goes to Allison Cordell of the Mexico Institute. Her contribution goes far beyond the hundreds of hours of editing, coordinating, reviewing, and working with designers and printers. In many ways she became the driving force behind the publication of this book, and without Allison’s commitment, this book would not have seen the light of day for many months. Contents Introduction 1 Building Resilient Communities in Mexico: Civic Responses to Crime and Violence Eric L. Olson, David A. Shirk, and Duncan Wood Section 1: The Roots of Violence, and Civil Society Responses 25 Community Resilience to Violence: Local Schools, Regional Economies, and Homicide in Mexico’s Municipalities Matthew C. Ingram 63 Civil Society, the Government, and the Development of Citizen Security Steven Dudley and Sandra Rodríguez Nieto 89 Understanding and Addressing Youth in “Gangs” in Mexico Nathan P. Jones Section 2: Mobilizing Communities Targeted by Violence 121 The Victims’ Movement in Mexico Lauren Villagran 143 The Effects of Drug-War Related Violence on Mexico’s Press and Democracy Emily Edmonds-Poli 173 The Private Sector and Public Security: The Cases of Ciudad Juárez and Monterrey Lucy Conger Section 3: Engaging and Strengthening Judicial Sector Institutions 213 Civic Engagement and the Judicial Reform: The Role of Civil Society in Reforming Criminal Justice in Mexico Octavio Rodríguez Ferreira 245 Co-Production and Oversight: Citizens and Their Police Daniel M. Sabet Conclusion 263 Toward a More Comprehensive and Community-based Approach to Public Security David A. Shirk, Duncan Wood, and Andrew Selee 277 About the Authors Building Resilient Communities in Mexico: Civic Responses to Crime and Violence ERIC L. OLSON, DAVID A. SHIRK, AND DUNCAN WOOD1 INTRODUCTION Mexico has suffered a severe security crisis over the last decade. As in several other Latin American countries, elevated levels of crime and violence—and especially the proliferation of violent organized crime groups—have presented a serious threat to the Mexican state and to ordinary citizens. During the presidency of Felipe Calderón (2006–2012), the Mexican government attempted to address these problems primarily through law enforcement and military operations to combat organized crime and reforms to enhance the institutional integrity and efficacy of police and judicial sectors. Calderón’s successor, President Enrique Peña Nieto (whose six-year term began in 2012) spent much of his first year in office attempting to shift the narrative within and about Mexico from security issues to other matters, including political, economic, and social reforms to help move the country forward. However, while placing less emphasis on such matters, Peña Nieto also largely continued Calderón’s approach to security by targeting major organized crime figures, deploying federal forces to address urgent local security crises, and pushing ahead with efforts to implement Mexico’s new criminal justice system. Still, for many Mexicans, there have been few improvements in their day- to-day sense of security, their confidence in law enforcement authorities, or their ability to attain access to justice. Indeed, crime and violence remains such a serious concern in certain parts of the country that ordinary citizens have taken to extraordinary measures—hiring private security guards and embracing vigilantism—to protect themselves. In recent years, the emergence of self-professed citizen self-defense groups has introduced a new dimension to Mexico’s security situation. Such developments raise concerns about the course of Mexico’s security 1 The authors wish to acknowledge the feedback and direct contributions of various colleagues who have generously contributed to this introductory chapter. In particular, the authors are deeply grateful to Andrew Selee, who was instrumental in conceptualizing and implementing this project and helped draft the initial framing paper for this introduction. In addition, the authors are also indebted to Christopher Wilson, Allison Cordell, Cory Molzahn, and Octavio Rodriguez for their keen insights, direct contributions, edits, and recommendations. 1 OLSON, SHIRK, AND WOOD Still, for many Mexicans, there have been few improvements in their day-to-day sense of security, their confidence in law enforcement authorities, or their ability to attain access to justice. situation over the longer term. On the one hand, there are serious questions about the capacity of the Mexican government to fulfill its responsibility to provide for basic citizen security. While not a failed state, Mexico has proved highly vulnerable to penetration and corruption by powerful organized crime groups, and the government’s ability to maintain a monopoly on the legitimate use of force has been challenged by both political insurgents and violent criminal organizations. On the other hand, while policy analysts have typically focused primarily on these issues of state
Load more

Recommended publications
  • La Situación De La Violencia Relacionada Con Las Drogas En México Del 2006 Al 2017 : ¿Es Un Conflicto Armado No Internacional
    La situación de la violencia relacionada con las drogas en México del 2006 al 2017 : Titulo ¿es un conflicto armado no internacional? Arriaga Valenzuela, Luis - Prologuista; Guevara Bermúdez, José Antonio - Otra; Autor(es) Campo Esteta, Laura Martín del - Traductor/a; Universiteit Leiden, Grotius Centre for International Legal Studies - Autor/a; Guadalajara Lugar ITESO Editorial/Editor Comisión Mexicana de Defensa y Promoción de los Derechos Humanos 2019 Fecha Colección Tráfico de drogas; Drogas; Violencia; Carteles; México; Temas Libro Tipo de documento "http://biblioteca.clacso.org/Mexico/cip-iteso/20200713020717/03.pdf" URL Reconocimiento-No Comercial-Sin Derivadas CC BY-NC-ND Licencia http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/deed.es Segui buscando en la Red de Bibliotecas Virtuales de CLACSO http://biblioteca.clacso.org Consejo Latinoamericano de Ciencias Sociales (CLACSO) Conselho Latino-americano de Ciências Sociais (CLACSO) Latin American Council of Social Sciences (CLACSO) www.clacso.org La situación de la violencia relacionada con las drogas en México del 2006 al 2017: ¿es un conflicto armado no Internacional? La situación de la violencia relacionada con las drogas en México del 2006 al 2017: ¿es un conflicto armado no Internacional? COMISIÓN MEXIcaNA DE DEFENSA Y PROMOCIÓN DE LOS DERECHOS HUMANOS, A.C. CONSEJO DIRECTIVO COORDINacIÓN DE INCIDENCIA Ximena Andión Ibáñez Olga Guzmán Vergara Presidenta Coordinadora Alejandro Anaya Muñoz Jürgen Moritz Beatriz Solís Leere María Corina Muskus Toro Jacobo Dayán José Luis Caballero
    [Show full text]
  • Cartel Bombings in Mexico Robert J
    Claremont Colleges Scholarship @ Claremont CGU Faculty Publications and Research CGU Faculty Scholarship 8-16-2013 Cartel Bombings in Mexico Robert J. Bunker Claremont Graduate University John P. Sullivan Recommended Citation Bunker, Robert J., and John P. Sullivan. "Cartel Car Bombings in Mexico." The Letort Papers (2013): Strategic Studies Institute. Strategic Studies Institute, 16 Aug. 2013. Web. 18 Aug. 2013. This Report is brought to you for free and open access by the CGU Faculty Scholarship at Scholarship @ Claremont. It has been accepted for inclusion in CGU Faculty Publications and Research by an authorized administrator of Scholarship @ Claremont. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Visit our website for other free publication downloads http://www.StrategicStudiesInstitute.army.mil/ To rate this publication click here. The Letort Papers In the early 18th century, James Letort, an explorer and fur trader, was instrumental in opening up the Cumberland Valley to settlement. By 1752, there was a garrison on Letort Creek at what is today Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania. In those days, Carlisle Barracks lay at the western edge of the American colonies. It was a bastion for the protection of settlers and a departure point for further exploration. Today, as was the case over 2 centuries ago, Carlisle Barracks, as the home of the U.S. Army War College, is a place of transition and transformation. In the same spirit of bold curiosity that compelled the men and women who, like Letort, settled the American west, the Strategic Studies Institute (SSI) and U.S. Army War College (USAWC) Press presents The Letort Papers.
    [Show full text]
  • War on the Mexican Drug Cartels
    THE WAR ON MEXICAN CARTELS OPTIONS FOR U.S. AND MEXICAN POLICY-MAKERS POLICY PROGRAM CHAIRS Ken Liu Chris Taylor GROUP CHAIR Jean-Philippe Gauthier AUTHORS William Dean Laura Derouin Mikhaila Fogel Elsa Kania Tyler Keefe James McCune Valentina Perez Anthony Ramicone Robin Reyes Andrew Seo Minh Trinh Alex Velez-Green Colby Wilkason RESEARCH COORDINATORS Tia Ray Kathryn Walsh September 2012 Final Report of the Institute of Politics National Security Student Policy Group THE WAR ON MEXICAN CARTELS OPTIONS FOR U.S. AND MEXICAN POLICY-MAKERS POLICY PROGRAM CHAIRS Ken Liu Chris Taylor GROUP CHAIR Jean-Philippe Gauthier AUTHORS William Dean Laura Derouin Mikhaila Fogel Elsa Kania Tyler Keefe James McCune Valentina Perez Anthony Ramicone Robin Reyes Andrew Seo Minh Trinh Alex Velez-Green Colby Wilkason RESEARCH COORDINATORS Tia Ray Kathryn Walsh September 2012 Final Report of the Institute of Politics 2 National Security Student Policy Group Institute of Politics ABOUT THE INSTITUTE OF POLITICS NATIONAL SECURITY POLICY GROUP The Institute of Politics is a non-profit organization located in the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. It is a living memorial to President John F. Kennedy, and its mission is to unite and engage students, particularly undergraduates, with academics, politicians, activists, and policymakers on a non-partisan basis and to stimulate and nurture their interest in public service and leadership. The Institute strives to promote greater understanding and cooperation between the academic world and the world of politics and public affairs. Led by a Director, Senior Advisory Board, Student Advisory Committee, and staff, the Institute provides wide-ranging opportunities for both Harvard students and the general public.
    [Show full text]
  • Violence and Growth in the Mexican Drug War ∗
    Violence and Growth in the Mexican Drug War ∗ Jesús Gorrín y José Morales-Arilla z Bernardo Ricca § December 30, 2019 Abstract This paper documents how violence resulting from the Mexican Drug War hindered local economic growth by affecting production. Focusing on exports allows us to control for demand factors, and hence measure effects on local supply. We compare exports of the same product to the same country of destination, but produced in municipalities with different exposure to violence after a close electoral outcome. Municipalities exogenously exposed to the Drug War experienced a 45% decrease in 3-year export growth. The effects concentrate on larger exporters, along with exports of more complex, capital-intensive, and skill-intensive products. Keywords: Exports, Violence, Mexico, Regression Discontinuity. JEL Classification: H56, D72, F16, N76 ∗First Draft: November 27, 2017. We are grateful to Ghazala Azmat, Vicente Cuñat, Melissa Dell, Daniel Ferreira, Juanita Gonzalez-Uribe, Ricardo Hausmann, Dirk Jenter, Tom Kirchmaier, Horacio Larreguy, Nathan Nunn, Daniel Paravisini, Cláudia Custódio, Vikrant Vig, seminar participants at LSE Finance, Warwick Macro and International Workshop, the Growth Lab Seminar at Harvard’s CID, the Development Seminar at Harvard Economics, the Political Economy of Development Seminar at Harvard’s Government Department, and the LACEA/LAMES conference for helpful comments. yCorresponding author. Warwick Business School. Address: Office 2.010, Gibbet Hill Road, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK. Phone: +44 7584 028586. Email: [email protected]. zHarvard University. Address: Harvard Kennedy School, 79 JFK Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138. Phone: +1 617 6209896. Email: [email protected]. §Insper. Address: Rua Quatá 300, São Paulo - SP, Brazil, 04546-042.
    [Show full text]
  • Exploring the Relationship Between Militarization in the United States
    Exploring the Relationship Between Militarization in the United States and Crime Syndicates in Mexico: A Look at the Legislative Impact on the Pace of Cartel Militarization by Tracy Lynn Maish A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science (Criminology and Criminal Justice) in the University of Michigan-Dearborn 2021 Master Thesis Committee: Assistant Professor Maya P. Barak, Chair Associate Professor Kevin E. Early Associate Professor Donald E. Shelton Tracy Maish [email protected] ORCID iD: 0000-0001-8834-4323 © Tracy L. Maish 2021 Acknowledgments The author would like to acknowledge the assistance of their committee and the impact that their guidance had on the process. Without the valuable feedback and enormous patience, this project would not the where it is today. Thank you to Dr. Maya Barak, Dr. Kevin Early, and Dr. Donald Shelton. Your academic mentorship will not be forgotten. ii Table of Contents 1. Acknowledgments ii 2. List of Tables iv 3. List of Figures v 4. Abstract vi 5. Chapter 1 Introduction 1 6. Chapter 2 The Militarization of Law Enforcement Within the United States 8 7. Chapter 3 Cartel Militarization 54 8. Chapter 4 The Look into a Mindset 73 9. Chapter 5 Research Findings 93 10. Chapter 6 Conclusion 108 11. References 112 iii List of Tables Table 1 .......................................................................................................................................... 80 Table 2 .........................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • In the Shadow of Saint Death
    In the Shadow of Saint Death The Gulf Cartel and the Price of America’s Drug War in Mexico Michael Deibert An imprint of Rowman & Littlefield Distributed by NATIONAL BOOK NETWORK Copyright © 2014 by Michael Deibert First Lyons Paperback Edition, 2015 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote passages in a review. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Information Available The Library of Congress has previously catalogued an earlier (hardcover) edition as follows: Deibert, Michael. In the shadow of Saint Death : the Gulf Cartel and the price of America’s drug war in Mexico / Michael Deibert. pages cm Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-7627-9125-5 (hardback) 1. Drug traffic—Mexican-American Border Region. 2. Drug dealers—Mexican-American Border Region. 3. Cartels—Mexican-American Border Region. 4. Drug control—Mexican- American Border Region. 5. Drug control—United States. 6. Drug traffic—Social aspects— Mexican-American Border Region. 7. Violence—Mexican-American Border Region. 8. Interviews—Mexican-American Border Region. 9. Mexican-American Border Region—Social conditions. I. Title. HV5831.M46D45 2014 363.450972—dc23 2014011008 ISBN 978-1-4930-0971-8 (pbk.) ISBN 978-1-4930-1065-3 (e-book) The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence
    [Show full text]
  • Justice-Reform
    Mexico Institute SHARED RESPONSIBILITY: U.S.-MEXICO POLICY OPTIONS FOR CONFRONTING ORGANIZED CRIME Edited by Eric L. Olson, David A. Shirk, and Andrew Selee Mexico Institute Available from: Mexico Institute Trans-Border Institute Woodrow Wilson International University of San Diego Center for Scholars 5998 Alcalá Park, IPJ 255 One Woodrow Wilson Plaza San Diego, CA 92110-2492 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20004-3027 www.sandiego.edu/tbi www.wilsoncenter.org/mexico ISBN : 1-933549-61-0 October 2010 The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, established by Congress in 1968 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., is a living national memorial to President Wilson. The Center’s mission is to commemorate the ideals and concerns of Woodrow Wilson by providing a link between the worlds of ideas and policy, while fostering research, study, discussion, and collaboration among a broad spectrum of individuals concerned with policy and scholarship in national and international affairs. Supported by public and private funds, the Center is a nonpartisan institution engaged in the study of national and world affairs. It establishes and maintains a neutral forum for free, open, and informed dialogue. Conclusions or opinions expressed in Center publications and programs are those of the authors and speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Center staff, fellows, trustees, advisory groups, or any individuals or organizations that provide financial support to the Center. The Center is the publisher of The Wilson Quarterly and home of Woodrow Wilson Center Press, dialogue radio and television, and the monthly news-letter “Centerpoint.” For more information about the Center’s activities and publications, please visit us on the web at www.wilsoncenter.org.
    [Show full text]
  • Baylor University High School Model United Nations Fall 2010 Conference
    Baylor University High School Model United Nations Fall 2010 Conference United Nations Security Council Background & Preparation Guide Dear Delegate, Welcome to the 2010 Baylor University Model United Nations High School Conference. The Baylor Model United Nations team is looking forward to working with you. We hope that your session at Baylor will be memorable and productive. Model United Nations provides gifted students with the unique opportunity to tackle current issues of global importance while improving their own individual speaking, writing, and networking skills. Moreover, Model United Nations opens students’ minds to other nationalities, governments, and cultures beyond their individual worldviews. Model United Nations also serves to motivate students toward professions in the international sphere, including business, journalism, public affairs, politics, and humanitarian causes. With regards to this conference, the authors decided that the Security Council delegates should discuss two current issues of the utmost global importance: Israel and Hezbollah in the Lebanon War, and the threat of the Mexican Drug Cartels. The two topics are issues affecting all aspects of international affairs, including international security, global economics, and humanitarian concerns. Both issues require that delegates first find solutions to the regional crises and second, implement the proper measures to ensure that unrest does not return. These conflicts may seem worlds away from the typical high school student, but Model United Nations delegates should understand that these are real issues affecting real people. In order to properly address these issues, a prepared delegate should take the introductory material supplied in this guide and research further and deeper into its specific application.
    [Show full text]
  • Scarcity Without Leviathan: the Violent Effects of Cocaine Supply Shortages in the Mexican Drug War∗
    Scarcity without Leviathan: The Violent Effects of Cocaine Supply Shortages in the Mexican Drug War∗ Juan Camilo Castillo† Daniel Mejía‡ Pascual Restrepo§ This version: April 2015 Abstract In this paper we show how scarcity increases violence in markets without third party enforcement. We construct a model in which supply shortages increase contested revenues and induce more violence. We test our model using the cocaine trade in Mexico. Scarcity created by cocaine seizures in Colombia – Mexico’s main supplier – increase violence in Mexico, especially in municipalities near the U.S. border, in municipalities with multiple cartels, and where crackdowns on the cocaine trade are more frequent. Our results indicate that the sharp decline in the cocaine supply from Colombian observed between 2006 and 2009 may account for 10%-14% of the increase in violence in Mexico in this period, and 25% of the differential increase in the North. Keywords: Rule of Law, War on Drugs, Violence, Illegal Markets, Mexico. JEL Classification Numbers: D74, K42. ∗We are grateful to Daron Acemoglu, Michael Clemens, Dora Costa, Leopoldo Fergusson, Bruno Ferman, Claudio Ferraz, Dorothy Kronick, and Otis Reid, as well as seminar participants at Universidad de los Andes, Stanford, UCLA, ITAM and the AL CAPONE and LACEA meetings for their very helpful comments and suggestions. Melissa Dell, Horacio Larreguy, and Viridiana Ríos kindly provided most of the data used in this paper. We gratefully acknowledge funding from the Open Society Foundation and from the Center for Global Development. †Economics Department, Universidad de los Andes, e-mail: [email protected] ‡Corresponding author. Economics Department, Universidad de los Andes, e-mail: [email protected] §Economics Department, MIT, e-mail: [email protected] 1 Introduction According to Thomas Hobbes, in a world without the rule of law, where the state does not have a monopoly on violence and where no reliable third party can enforce laws and contracts, the life of man becomes “nasty, brutish and short”(Hobbes, 1651).
    [Show full text]
  • Organised Crime and State Sovereignty
    Organised Crime and State Sovereignty The conflict between the Mexican state and drug cartels 2006-2011 Jelena Damnjanovic Honours IV 2011 Department of Government and International Relations The University of Sydney Word Count: 19,373 Student ID: 308171594 This work is substantially my own, and where any part of this work is not my own, I have indicated this by acknowledging the source of that part or those parts of the work. Abstract Since December 2006, the government of Mexico has been embroiled in a battle against numerous criminal organisations seeking to control territory and assure continued flow of revenue through the production and trafficking of drugs. Although this struggle has been well documented in Mexican and international media, it has not received as much scholarly attention due to the difficulties involved with assessing current phenomena. This thesis seeks to play a small part in filling that gap by exploring how and why the drug cartels in Mexico have proved a challenge to Mexico’s domestic sovereignty and the state’s capacity to have monopoly over the use of force, maintain effective and legitimate law enforcement, and to exercise control over its territory. The thesis will explain how the violence, corruption and subversion of the state’s authority have resulted in a shift of the dynamics of power from state agents to criminal organizations in Mexico. It also suggests implications for domestic sovereignty in regions experiencing similar problems with organized crime, perhaps pointing to a wider trend in international
    [Show full text]
  • Hardbound Title Template
    http://researchcommons.waikato.ac.nz/ Research Commons at the University of Waikato Copyright Statement: The digital copy of this thesis is protected by the Copyright Act 1994 (New Zealand). The thesis may be consulted by you, provided you comply with the provisions of the Act and the following conditions of use: Any use you make of these documents or images must be for research or private study purposes only, and you may not make them available to any other person. Authors control the copyright of their thesis. You will recognise the author’s right to be identified as the author of the thesis, and due acknowledgement will be made to the author where appropriate. You will obtain the author’s permission before publishing any material from the thesis. The Rise of Homicides on the Baja California Peninsula in 2017: A Bloody Mess A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Political Science at The University of Waikato by ALEXANDER SWAIN 2019 Abstract The Baja California Peninsula (BCP) is situated in the northwest of Mexico and consists of two major Mexican states, Baja California and Baja California Sur. For decades the peninsula has remained relatively quiet in the overspill of violence generated by the early War on Drugs pursued by Vicente Fox in 2000 and again with a more rigorous approach by Felipe Calderon in 2006. Drug-related violence is affecting areas that have previously not been reached before, causing the Baja California region to become a battleground for drug trafficking organizations’ contesting drug routes.
    [Show full text]
  • Explaining the Slight Uptick in Violence in Tijuana
    JAMES A. BAKER III INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC POLICY RICE UNIVERSITY EXPLAINING THE SLIGHT UPTICK IN VIOLENCE IN TIJUANA BY NATHAN P. JONES, PH.D. ALFRED C. GLASSELL III POSTDOCTORAL FELLOW IN DRUG POLICY JAMES A. BAKER III INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC POLICY RICE UNIVERSITY SEPTEMBER 17, 2013 Explaining the Slight Uptick in Violence in Tijuana THESE PAPERS WERE WRITTEN BY A RESEARCHER (OR RESEARCHERS) WHO PARTICIPATED IN A BAKER INSTITUTE RESEARCH PROJECT. WHEREVER FEASIBLE, THESE PAPERS ARE REVIEWED BY OUTSIDE EXPERTS BEFORE THEY ARE RELEASED. HOWEVER, THE RESEARCH AND VIEWS EXPRESSED IN THESE PAPERS ARE THOSE OF THE INDIVIDUAL RESEARCHER(S), AND DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT THE VIEWS OF THE JAMES A. BAKER III INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC POLICY. © 2013 BY THE JAMES A. BAKER III INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC POLICY OF RICE UNIVERSITY THIS MATERIAL MAY BE QUOTED OR REPRODUCED WITHOUT PRIOR PERMISSION, PROVIDED APPROPRIATE CREDIT IS GIVEN TO THE AUTHOR AND THE JAMES A. BAKER III INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC POLICY. 2 Explaining the Slight Uptick in Violence in Tijuana Introduction After a two-year decline in drug-related violence in Tijuana, seven homicides were reported in a two-day period in early June 2013.1 The homicides are notable because Tijuana is one of the few places in Mexico where drug violence has spiked and subsequently subsided. This white paper explores the reasons behind the limited increase in violence and provides policy recommendations to address it. Between 2008-2010, drug-related violence between two factions of the Arellano Felix cartel nearly brought Tijuana to its knees.2 However, the 2010 arrest of a top cartel lieutenant brought relative peace to the city, prompting the administration of former Mexico president Felipe Calderón to promote Tijuana as a public safety success story.
    [Show full text]