The Criminal Actors Have a Social Base in Their Communities

Gangs and Service Provision in Medellín, Colombia

Bibliographic Data

ID2940709
AuthorsCaroline Doyle (0000-0001-6264-5443, University of Canberra, corresponding author)
Year2021
Volume63
Issue1
Pages27-47
Publication date2021-02-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueLatin American Politics and Society (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1531-426X • E-ISSN: 1548-2456
PublisherCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1017/lap.2020.31
OpenAlexW3116477869
LanguageEN
Citations received6
References cited46

In the last ten years, Medellín, Colombia has undergone significant socioeconomic improvements and a reduction in homicides. By drawing from qualitative data collected in Medellín, this article shows how, despite these improvements, residents in the marginalized neighborhoods maintain a perception that the state is unable or unwilling to provide them with services, such as employment and order or social control. Criminal gangs in these neighborhoods appear to rely on, and even exploit, the weakness of the state, as they are able to get citizens to perceive them as more reliable and legitimate than the state. This article argues that it is important for Latin American policymakers to promote citizen engagement in the design and implementation of policies to reduce current levels of violence

Business · Computer security · Criminology · Economic growth · Economics · Exploit · Latin Americans · Political science · Population · Public relations · Socioeconomic status · Sociology · Crime Patterns and Interventions · Crime, Illicit Activities, and Governance · HIV, Drug Use, Sexual Risk · Law

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