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Warfare, Political Identities, and Displacement in Spain and Colombia

Author

Listed:
  • Laia Balcells

    (Duke University)

  • Abbey Steele

    (Maxwell School of Syracuse University)

Abstract

This paper explores the causes of displacement during civil wars. Recent scholarship has shown that conventional civil wars � those in which forces are relatively balanced � and irregular civil wars � those in which one side is substantially stronger than the other � exhibit different patterns of violence. We hypothesize that, while the mode of violence differs, the form of displacement should be consistent across the wars: displacement is a tactic of war that armed groups use to conquer new territories. By expelling civilians associated with rivals, armed groups improve their odds of gaining control of contested territory. This implies that members of a group are targeted for displacement because of their identity and presumed loyalties. We test the theory using two fine-grained datasets on individuals displaced during a conventional civil war, in Spain (1936-1939), and an irregular civil war, in Colombia (1964-). In both cases, the war cleavage was reflected in national elections: thus, where political parties received support indicated which populations were sympathetic to rivals. In both civil wars, we observe higher levels of displacement in locations where more sympathizers of rival armed groups reside. The paper makes three contributions. First, it shows that the microfoundations of displacement are similar in two types of civil wars. Second, it is the first comparison to our knowledge of the sub-national dynamics of displacement within two different civil wars. Third, it explains macro-level differences with a coherent micro-level framework.

Suggested Citation

  • Laia Balcells & Abbey Steele, 2012. "Warfare, Political Identities, and Displacement in Spain and Colombia," HiCN Working Papers 124, Households in Conflict Network.
  • Handle: RePEc:hic:wpaper:124
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Laia Balcells, 2011. "Continuation of Politics by Two Means: Direct and Indirect Violence in Civil War," Journal of Conflict Resolution, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 55(3), pages 397-422, June.
    2. Jean-Paul Azam & Anke Hoeffler, 2002. "Violence Against Civilians in Civil Wars: Looting or Terror?," Journal of Peace Research, Peace Research Institute Oslo, vol. 39(4), pages 461-485, July.
    3. Abbey Steele, 2011. "Electing Displacement: Political Cleansing in Apartad�, Colombia," HiCN Working Papers 96, Households in Conflict Network.
    4. Ana María Ibánez, 2008. "El desplazamiento forzoso en Colombia: un camino sin retorno hacia la pobreza," Libros en Línea 14159, Universidad de los Andes, Facultad de Economía, CEDE.
    5. Abbey Steele, 2011. "Electing Displacement: Political Cleansing in Apartadó, Colombia," Journal of Conflict Resolution, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 55(3), pages 423-445, June.
    6. Abbey Steele, 2009. "Seeking Safety: Avoiding Displacement and Choosing Destinations in Civil Wars," Journal of Peace Research, Peace Research Institute Oslo, vol. 46(3), pages 419-429, May.
    7. Laia Balcells, 2008. "Rivalry and Revenge: Making Sense of Violence against Civilians in Conventional Civil Wars," HiCN Working Papers 51, Households in Conflict Network.
    8. Laia Balcells, 2012. "Violence and displacement. Evidence from the Spanish civil war (1936-1939)," UFAE and IAE Working Papers 896.12, Unitat de Fonaments de l'Anàlisi Econòmica (UAB) and Institut d'Anàlisi Econòmica (CSIC).
    9. Laia Balcells, 2012. "Violence and Displacement in Civil War. Evidence from the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939)," Working Papers 603, Barcelona School of Economics.
    10. Christina Davenport & Will Moore & Steven Poe, 2003. "Sometimes You Just Have to Leave: Domestic Threats and Forced Migration, 1964-1989," International Interactions, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 29(1), pages 27-55, January.
    11. Jason Lyall, 2009. "Does Indiscriminate Violence Incite Insurgent Attacks?," Journal of Conflict Resolution, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 53(3), pages 331-362, June.
    12. Abbey Steele, 2011. "Electing Displacement: Political Cleansing in Apartadó, Colombia," Documentos CEDE 8747, Universidad de los Andes, Facultad de Economía, CEDE.
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    Cited by:

    1. Diego Esparza & Jessica Lucas & Enrique Martinez & James Meernik & Ignacio Molinero & Victoria Nevarez, 2020. "Movement of the people: Violence and internal displacement," International Area Studies Review, Center for International Area Studies, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, vol. 23(3), pages 233-250, September.
    2. Abbey Steele, 2018. "IDP resettlement and collective targeting during civil wars," Journal of Peace Research, Peace Research Institute Oslo, vol. 55(6), pages 810-824, November.
    3. Ana María Ibá-ez, 2014. "Growth in forced displacement: cross-country, sub-national and household evidence on potential determinants," Chapters, in: Robert E.B. Lucas (ed.), International Handbook on Migration and Economic Development, chapter 13, pages 350-387, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    4. Yuri M. Zhukov, 2014. "Theory of Indiscriminate Violence," Working Paper 365551, Harvard University OpenScholar.
    5. Guibor Camargo & Andrés Miguel Sampayo & Andrés Peña Galindo & Francisco J Escobedo & Fernando Carriazo & Alejandro Feged-Rivadeneira, 2020. "Exploring the dynamics of migration, armed conflict, urbanization, and anthropogenic change in Colombia," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(11), pages 1-18, November.
    6. Miguel R. Rueda, 2017. "Popular Support, Violence, and Territorial Control in Civil War," Journal of Conflict Resolution, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 61(8), pages 1626-1652, September.
    7. Maria Paula Saffon & Fabio Sánchez, 2019. "Historical grievances and war dynamics: Old land conflicts as a cause of current forced displacements in Colombia," Documentos CEDE 17320, Universidad de los Andes, Facultad de Economía, CEDE.
    8. Nils Hägerdal, 2019. "Ethnic Cleansing and the Politics of Restraint: Violence and Coexistence in the Lebanese Civil War," Journal of Conflict Resolution, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 63(1), pages 59-84, January.
    9. Jon Echevarria-Coco & Javier Gardeazabal, 2021. "A Spatial Model of Internal Displacement and Forced Migration," Journal of Conflict Resolution, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 65(2-3), pages 591-618, February.

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