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“The Criminal Actors Have a Social Base in Their Communities”: Gangs and Service Provision in Medellín, Colombia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 December 2020

Caroline Doyle Open the ORCID record for Caroline Doyle [Opens in a new window]
Caroline Doyle*
Affiliation:
Caroline Doyle is a lecturer in the School of Business at the University of New South Wales, Canberra, Australia.
*
[email protected].
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Abstract

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.

Keywords

MedellínColombiagangscriminal governanceLatin Americaurban violence
Type
Research Article
Information
Latin American Politics and Society , Volume 63 , Issue 1 , February 2021 , pp. 27 - 47
Copyright
© The Author, 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the University of Miami

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Footnotes

Conflicts of interest: Caroline Doyle declares none.

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