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Case studies / Comment

Nicaragua

14/05/2007 By Angélica Durán Martínez

During the civil war (1974-1990), connections among contra supporters, drug traffickers and the military made organised crime a threatening influence in Nicaragua. Nowadays, the threats seem to be more limited because the security situation has improved notably.

However, the tactics of criminal organisations tend to change constantly given the geostrategic conditions of Central American countries.

Therefore, the risks of penetration of criminal organisations into Nicaragua’s political system cannot be underestimated and are associated with three factors at this particular moment:

I. The increase in organised crime despite the recent decline in murder rates;
II. The exclusionary character of the pacts between the FSLN and the PLC; and
III. The politicised judicial and electoral oversight institutions.

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Keywords

Corruption Crime Fragile state Latin America & Caribbean Nicaragua

Related publications

• Organized Crime, the State, and Democracy: the cases of Central America and the Caribbean

Bio author: Angélica Durán Martínez