Security

In the podcast New Books Network, Alke Jenss discusses her latest book "Selective Security in the War on Drugs: The Coloniality of State Power in Colombia and Mexico" with Caleb Zakarin. 

In her book she analyzes authoritarian neoliberalism in the war on drugs in Colombia and Mexico. It interprets the “security projects” of the 2000s - when the security provided by the state became ever more selective - as embedded in processes of land appropriation, transformed property relations, and global capital accumulation. By zooming in on security practices in Colombia and Mexico in that decade and juxtaposing the two contexts, this book offers a detailed analysis of the role of the state in violence. To what extent and for whom do states produce order and disorder? Which social forces support and drive such state practices?

Expanding the literature on authoritarian neoliberalism and the coloniality of state power—thus linking political economy to postcolonial approaches—the book builds a theoretical lens to study state security practices. Different social groups, enjoying differentiated access to the state, influenced the state discourse on crime to very different extents. Security practices—which oscillated between dispersed organization by a multiplicity of actors and institutionalization with the military—materialized as horrific insecurity for social groups thought of as disposable. In tendency, putting security centerstage disabled dissent. The “security projects” exacerbated contradictions driven by a particular economic model and simultaneously criminalized precisely those that this model had already radically disadvantaged.

You can find the podcast episode here.

Over the past few months, the headlines about criminal violence in Latin America have been dominated by an unusual suspect, Ecuador. This nation has long been considered a haven of stability and peace in the middle of the world’s most violent region. However, it saw unparalleled increases in violence in recent years, becoming the country with the highest level of lethal violence in Latin America. The takeover of a local television station by members of a criminal group in January 2024 gave further visibility to Ecuador’s deep security crisis.

In a blog entry, Viviana García Pinzón und José Salguero examine the factors behind Ecuador’s security crisis, highlighting the negative impact of a series of justice and security reforms implemented between 2017 and 2022. They argue that the level of violence affecting the country is not exclusively caused by changes in illicit markets and organized crime but, crucially, by a weakened and fragmented state apparatus. Moreover, the seemingly unlimited political gains from a prolonged suspension of constitutional rights might make unending ‘regimes of exception’ an alluring prospect for a new wave of Latin American autocratic rulers.

The blog entry can be read on the website Urban Violence.

On February 4th, El Salvador held its general elections, marking a historic occasion as the first since the era of military dictatorships in the 20th century to transpire amidst a declared state of emergency. The incumbent Salvadoran President and unconstitutional presidential candidate, Nayib Bukele, declared himself the victor, claiming an 85% share of the total votes and at least 58 out of the 60 available General Assembly seats for his party, Nuevas Ideas. His "Iron Fist" policy on gang violence and its impressive results are the main source of Bukele’s popularity. In turn, this popularity has stifled any opposition to the growing dominance of the executive power over the legislative and judicial branches. 

In a blog entry, Viviana García Pinzón and José Salguero argue that at the core of Bukele’s concentration of power lies a security strategy of coercive pacification and the instrumentalization of fear. They rivisit pivotal developments of autocratization and examine the role of security policy and the state of exception. 

The blog entry can be read on the website Urban Violence.

In Ecuador, it seems inappropriate to speak of a security crisis when considering that the challenges facing the Latin American region have repeatedly emerged in the past. The erosion of democratic culture has not occurred abruptly. The increase in military presence in public security and the allure of warlords are also not new. In an article on Razon Publica, Viviana García Pinzón explains the situation.

You can find the entire article here (Spanish).