The terror that underpins the ‘peace’

The political economy of Colombia's paramilitary demobilisation process

Datos Bibliográficos

ID12918596
AutoresDavid Maher (0000-0002-0948-5476, University of Kent, autor de correspondencia), Andrew Thomson (0000-0001-7450-2159, University of Kent)
Año2011
Volumen4
Número1
Páginas95-113
Fecha de publicación2011-03-25
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessNo
TipoARTICLE
RevistaCritical Studies on Terrorism (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 1753-9161 • E-ISSN: 1753-9153
EditorialTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/17539153.2011.553391
OpenAlexW2066486940
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas13
Referencias citadas12

Studies on terrorism have traditionally focused on non-state actors who direct violence against liberal states. These studies also tend to focus on political motivations and, therefore, have neglected the economic functions of terrorism. This article challenges the divorce of the political and economic spheres by highlighting how states can use terrorism to realise interconnected political and economic goals. To demonstrate this, we take the case of the paramilitary demobilisation process in Colombia and show how it relates to the US-Colombian free trade agreement. We argue that the demobilisation process fulfils a dual role. First, the process aims to improve the image of the Colombian government required to pass the controversial free trade agreement through US Congress to protect large amounts of US investment in the country. Second, the demobilisation process serves to mask clear continuities in paramilitary terror that serve mutually supportive political and economic functions for US investment in Colombia

Demobilization · Development economics · Economics · Government (linguistics · Investment (military · Political economy · Political science · Political violence · Politics · State (computer science · Terrorism · Crime, Illicit Activities, and Governance · Defense, Military, and Policy Studies · Law · Politics and Conflicts in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Middle East