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Explaining Patterns of Urban Violence in Medellin, Colombia

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  • Caroline Doyle

    (School of Business, University of New South Wales, Northcott Dr., Campbell, ACT 2612, Australia)

Abstract

Latin America is one of the world’s most violent regions, with 40 of the 50 most violent cities, but with only 8% of the world’s population, and a staggering 33% of global homicides. At the forefront of these high levels of violence are gangs that are more flexible and persistent than previously thought. This paper provides a discussion on gangs in one Latin American city, Medellin, Colombia, where different non-state groups have contributed to changing patterns of homicide rates. The paper presents preliminary findings to show how, despite the city experiencing a 90% reduction in homicide rates in less than 25 years, violent non-state groups have become embedded as part and product of their environment, acting as coherent, logical and functional players, linked to the structural inequalities and institutional fragility of the larger society.

Suggested Citation

  • Caroline Doyle, 2016. "Explaining Patterns of Urban Violence in Medellin, Colombia," Laws, MDPI, vol. 5(1), pages 1-17, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jlawss:v:5:y:2016:i:1:p:3-:d:63819
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Alejandro Fajardo & Matt Andrews, 2014. "Does Successful Governance Require Heroes? The Case of Sergio Fajardo and the City of Medellín: A Reform Case for Instruction," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2014-035, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    2. Fajardo, Alejandro & Andrews, Matt, 2014. "Does successful governance require heroes? The case of Sergio Fajardo and the city of Medellín: A reform case for instruction," WIDER Working Paper Series 035, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    3. Alexandra Abello-Colak & Valeria Guarneros-Meza, 2014. "The role of criminal actors in local governance," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 51(15), pages 3268-3289, November.
    4. World Bank, 2011. "Violence in the City," World Bank Publications - Reports 27454, The World Bank Group.
    5. Liliana Bernal Franco & Claudia Navas Caputo, 2013. "Urban violence and humanitarian action in Medellin," HiCN Working Papers 148, Households in Conflict Network.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Gaurav Khanna & Carlos Medina & Anant Nyshadham & Jorge Tamayo & Nicolas Torres, 2023. "Formal Employment and Organised Crime: Regression Discontinuity Evidence from Colombia," The Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 133(654), pages 2427-2448.
    2. Gaurav Khanna & Carlos Medina & Anant Nyshadham & Christian Posso & Jorge Tamayo, 2021. "Job Loss, Credit, and Crime in Colombia," American Economic Review: Insights, American Economic Association, vol. 3(1), pages 97-114, March.
    3. Haugan, Gregory L. & Santos, Rafael, 2024. "Beheading a Hydra: Kingpin Extradition, Homicides, Education Outcomes, and the End of Medellin’s Pax Mafiosa," Documentos CEDE 21073, Universidad de los Andes, Facultad de Economía, CEDE.
    4. Fahlberg, Anjuli & Velasquez, Maya & Wise, Harper & Simon, Tori, 2023. "Tangential Movements: How feminist organizing against gender-based violence offers an alternative avenue for protesting drug violence in Latin America," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 161(C).

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