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Archive / Working Paper

The proliferation of the "parallel state"

13/10/2008 By Ivan Briscoe

J.Razuri/AFP/Getty Images

Democracy and modern institutions have spread across the developing world in the past three decades, but the results are not always as expected. In some notorious cases, parts of the state and the judicial system have become accomplices of organised crime and terror groups, generating intense public insecurity, stalling efforts to reduce poverty and causing major headaches for foreign governments seeking to stabilise these violent nations.

Based on a close study of Pakistan and Guatemala, as well as a number of other cases ranging from Fujimori's Peru to contemporary Guinea-Bissau, this Working Paper sets out to define the novel concept of the "parallel state". It explains the emergence of these states in contexts where democracy and open markets have recently been installed, and analyses the ways in which political leaders and the public connect with entrenched criminal groups.

The international community's dilemma is clear: in dealing with these countries, care must be taken not to secure strategic favours at the cost of empowering untouchable institutions.

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Keywords

Asia Crime El Salvador Fragile state Governance Guatemala Guinea-Bissau Haiti Latin America & Caribbean Pakistan Peru Security Serbia

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Bio author: Ivan Briscoe

Former senior researcher in Peace, Security and Human Rights at FRIDE.