On Violence In Mexico and the Failure of State Institutions
This annotated bibliography covers research that focuses on violence in Mexico and its relation to state institutions, including the government, military, and police forces. Nelson and Rios’s research shows that there is a link between intensified police and military responses to violence, which can be associated with authoritarianism, and an increase in drug-related violence. Similarly, Campbell and Hansen’s research demonstrates that police and military officers are often engaged in drug cartel violence, which they argue is a form of terrorism. Therefore, Campbell and Hanson also advise against the Mexican government employing militaristic measures in response to drug cartel violence. By focusing on the interconnected topics of violence and state institutions, this annotated bibliography aims to support migrants fleeing drug-related violence in Mexico by demonstrating the severity of the threat it poses to citizens and how the situation is exacerbated by the failure and complicity of institutions meant to protect people.
Arteaga, Nelson. 2017. “Mexico: Internal security, surveillance, and authoritarianism.” Surveillance & Society 15(¾). Pages 491-495
Arteaga states that the cultural frame in Mexico, which appreciates an unequal power relationship, makes increased surveillance a controversial topic and a significant one, due to Mexico’s history of authoritarianism led by the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) (Arteaga 494). Many support a return to authoritarianism, electing a PRI candidate in 2012 who promised to “reestablish the strength the state had lost due to political alternation” (491). Yet, a complete end to democracy would be difficult. Nevertheless, aspects of an authoritarian system have been activated including an increase in police and military surveillance (492). This has caused more violations of human rights than it has been effective in reducing violence related to drug trafficking, with 2000 reports of abuse by army members between 2015 and 2017 (492). The new Internal Security law, which allows the obtaining of information through any means (493), is therefore debated in the context of a culture which holds little value in democracy. Critics of the law argue it infringes upon the right to privacy without requiring accountability, and defends the security of the state rather than citizens (493). However, advocates argue the law provides a legal framework for surveillance, necessary to govern the country (493).
Rios, Viridiana. “Why did Mexico Become so Violent? A Self-Reinforcing Violent Equilibrium Caused by Competition and Enforcement.” Trends in Organized Crime, vol. 16, no. 2, 2013, pp. 138-155.
Viridiana Rios’ “Why Did Mexico Become So Violent? A Self-reinforcing Violent Equilibrium Caused By Competition And Enforcement” explores the continuous escalation of drug-related violence in Mexico and its effect on public safety. She argues that Mexico’s single-party authoritarian rule in the late 20th-century resulted in ‘regulatory’ and secretive drug traffic. But as this system began breaking in the 21st-century, political discourse intensified against drug-related work. Henceforth, drug violence has perpetually increased to become the so-called “war on drugs,” as declared in 2006 by then-President Felipe Calderon (Rios 150). Waves of violence now continue to affect Mexico since the declaration. A particularly harsh year, for example, was 2008 when there was a 142% surge in crime-related homicides (Rios 140). This war initiated a cycle Rios calls “self-reinforcing violent equilibrium” (143). This cycle consists of competitive drug markets leading to violence, which then leads to enforcement operations by the state, ultimately creating a more competitive drug market that creates cartel turf wars (Rios 143). This violence is still present in Mexico as current administrations continue to approach drug-violence in the same manner. Mexican citizens live in perpetual war zones, which to ignore would mean to enable a never-ending cycle of violence.
Campbell, Howard and Tobin Hansen. “Is Narco‐Violence in Mexico Terrorism?” Bulletin of Latin American Research, vol. 33, no. 2, 2014, pp. 158-173.
Campbell and Hansen’s article explores the growth in Mexican drug cartel violence, which they argue can be characterized as terrorism for two mains reasons. Firstly, drug cartel violence is “a struggle for power, not just profit”. This struggle is politically driven because the end goal is to gain economic and political control of localities. Notably, 71.5% of Mexico’s municipalities are under drug cartel control. Secondly, this goal is achieved through organized mass killings and propaganda. Mass killings rely on excessive violence for symbolic purposes. This involves using a range of horrific techniques to instil fear in opponents and the general public. These techniques include body mutilations, mass body dumps in public spaces like shopping malls, and using acid on victims. Mass killings and propaganda often go hand in hand. This is because propaganda involves using videos and blogs to showcase the killings and torture of victims or recruit people. Drug cartel violence is far-reaching; it extends to institutions meant to protect people, like the police and military. These institutions are sometimes allied with drug cartels and involved in their violent operations. With this in mind, Campbell and Hansen are opposed to U.S. or Mexican governments responding to this crisis with militaristic measures.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
