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The role of criminal actors in local governance

Author

Listed:
  • Alexandra Abello-Colak

    (International Centre for Participation Studies, University of Bradford, UK)

  • Valeria Guarneros-Meza

    (Cardiff Business School, Cardiff University, UK)

Abstract

The paper argues that understanding the ways in which criminals interact with state and non-state actors is crucial to construct a more accurate picture of how local governance arrangements are unfolding in urban policy-making in Latin America. Based on the experience of Medellin, Colombia, it is discussed that alongside decades of violence, rapid urbanisation and economic liberal reforms, the local state has built capacity for service provision and new governance arrangements. But this capacity has not weakened criminal actors’ operations and interactions with society and state actors. By focusing on the neighbourhood level, the paper demonstrates the existence of different strategies that have allowed criminals to benefit from governance arrangements, originally created to promote participatory democracy and urban development. The paper calls for studies to incorporate the role of criminals in contexts where boundaries between illegal and legal spheres of action, and formal and informal arrangements are continuously blurred.

Suggested Citation

  • 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.
  • Handle: RePEc:sae:urbstu:v:51:y:2014:i:15:p:3268-3289
    DOI: 10.1177/0042098013519831
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Brenner, Neil, 2004. "New State Spaces: Urban Governance and the Rescaling of Statehood," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199270064.
    2. Dennis Rodgers & Jo Beall & Ravi Kanbur, 2011. "Latin American Urban Development into the Twenty-first Century: Towards a Renewed Perspective on the City," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 23(4), pages 550-568, September.
    3. Dennis Rodgers & Jo Beall & Ravi Kanbur, 2011. "Latin American Urban Development into the 21st Century: Towards a Renewed Perspective on the City," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2011-005, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    4. Marcus Andre Melo & Gianpaolo Baiocchi, 2006. "Deliberative Democracy and Local Governance: Towards a New Agenda," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(3), pages 587-600, September.
    5. Ismael Blanco & Vivien Lowndes & Lawrence Pratchett, 2011. "Policy Networks and Governance Networks: Towards Greater Conceptual Clarity," Political Studies Review, Political Studies Association, vol. 9(3), pages 297-308, September.
    6. Olson, Mancur, 1993. "Dictatorship, Democracy, and Development," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 87(3), pages 567-576, September.
    7. Thomas Perreault & Patricia Martin, 2005. "Geographies of Neoliberalism in Latin America," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 37(2), pages 191-201, February.
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    Cited by:

    1. Caroline Doyle, 2016. "Explaining Patterns of Urban Violence in Medellin, Colombia," Laws, MDPI, vol. 5(1), pages 1-17, February.
    2. Matthew Aaron Richmond & Jeff Garmany, 2016. "‘Post-Third-World City' or Neoliberal ‘City of Exception'? Rio de Janeiro in the Olympic Era," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 40(3), pages 621-639, May.

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