Case studies / Conference Report
Organized Crime, the State, and Democracy: the cases of Central America and the Caribbean
16/05/2007 By Angélica Durán Martínez
The profound impact that organized crime has on state structures undermines the ability of the state to provide services, to protect people, to maintain the trust of citizens in government and democracy, and to enforce the law.
In turn, weak government structures, inequality and the lack of economic opportunities feed criminal activities. International and domestic actors increasingly recognize this vicious circle: several United Nations documents including the 2004 Report of the UN High Level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change and the 2005 World Summit Outcome Document highlight the impact of crime on peace, security and development, and acknowledge the need to work collectively against the threat of transnational crime.
Similarly, research produced by a number of think tanks and NGOs stresses how the scale and scope of organized crime activities have increased, posing huge challenges for state stability and democratic governance.
Faced with increased violence related to organized crime and a public clamour for immediate action, governments often respond with strong security measures while paying less attention to some of the key structural causes of illicit activities.
It is thus important for the international community to understand the complex relation between organized crime and governance in order to suggest, promote, and support better strategies to tackle and prevent this threat to the stability of states.
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Keywords
Crime Fragile state Governance Latin America & CaribbeanRelated publications
Bio author: Angélica Durán Martínez
