Why is Latin America one of the most violence regions of the world - Essay Example

? #16 Why is Latin America one of the most violence regions of the world? Introduction Latin America is categorized to have the highest rates of non-political crime in the world. Violence has been, and continues to be, a core problem that weighs down the conscience of the region. The region has become a haven for organized crimes such smuggling of drugs and persons as well as money laundering. The region’s towns and cities are rife with serious crimes such as murder, robbery, and rape. In addition, crimes such as corruption, domestic violence, and sexual abuse also feature prominently. Violence in Latin America is a problematic daily phenomenon that pervades the lives of more than half of the population in the region (Graduate Institute of International and Developmental Studies 2010, p. 139). The intricate phenomenon of violence translates to various forms of violence, each bearing its own characteristics, causes, and consequences. Violence can be viewed through multiple lenses, which include individuals who suffer the violence, the agents of violence such as gangs, youth and drug lords, the nature of aggression, and the motive. The region has become a key drug supply chain whereby drug crop cultivation, drug production and trafficking, and drug consumption thrive. This has turned the region into both a source zone as well as a transit route (Seelke, Wyler and Beittle 2010, p.1). This discussion explores both domestic and social violence in Latin America and probes why the region has high rates of violent crime. In the discussion, the paper uses Guatemala as a model, a country that has been grappling with high violence and crime rates. An Overview of Crime and Violence in the Latin America The subject of violence has preoccupied the minds of most of the residents in Latin America and the world as a whole. Only a handful of the population remains unscathed by the vicious upsurge of violence witnessed in the region. Violence in Latin America is usually perceived as a complex, multidimensional and multifaceted phenomenon. Violence does not only permeate every core of most Latin America’s societies, but also interlinks significant incidences of insecurity and fear (Moser and Mcllwaine 2004, p. 1). The main drivers of crime and violence in Latin America are drug trafficking, youth violence and gangs, and the easy availability of firearms (Jutersonke, Muggah & Rodgers 2009, p. 373). In addition, the weak justice institutions within the region are a high risk factor to the proliferation of crime and violence. Organized Crime Violence has permeated the society and continues to wage fear within the population. The region has one of the highest rates of homicide in the world. In addition, the region is home to the most violent drug cartels and an epicentre of production and trafficking of illicit drugs such as Cocaine, Marijuana, Opiates, and Methamphetamine. Drug trafficking stimulates, systematizes, reinforces, and enhances the technological sophistication of other forms of institutionalized crime. Drug trafficking and gang warfare pose some of the gravest threats to the region’s stability (Jutersonke, Muggah & Rodgers 2009, p. 375). Drug trafficking heralds five threats to security. These include killings and other acts of violence during turf wars over markets and drug routes, supremacy wars, support of other forms of organized crime such as assassinations, widespread bribery of the security forces, and the diversion of a large segment of state funding to combat the menace. The high circulation of illegal firearms makes stemming of the violence almost impossible. Key determinants of Violence in the Latin America Explanations of the causal factors that underlie violence in Latin America vary. Nevertheless, no single causal factor predominates to explain the soaring incidences of violence in the region. To some extent, poverty or inequality can be cited as causal causes of violence within the region (Moser & Mcllwaine 2004, p. 13). The political as well as economic transformations that the region has witnessed over the years have aggravated the widespread inequality. This is mostly prevalent in urban areas where daily living conditions predispose the masses to conflict, crime, and violence. This results from the fact that poverty and inequality occasionally overlap to produce conditions in which some people resort to crime and violence. Closely related is the spatial segregation and economic differentiation of disadvantaged groups and neighbourhoods. This predisposes the masses to crime, violence, and drug culture. For instance, an analysis of household data in Guatemala indicates that the probability of a person becoming the target of crime and violence increases with socioeconomic status. Similarly, the high rates of poverty in the region translate into a substantial number of willing recruits for organized crime syndicates (Moser & Mcllwaine 2004, p. 13). The increasing global interconnectedness has also facilitated the broadening of global criminal networks (Moser & Mcllwaine 2004, p. 14). Many causes of the region’s violence are transnational since Latin America is well connected to the international trade in drugs, guns, and other contrabands. Globalization has had a phenomenal influence on the functioning of mafia style groups and drug cartels in the region; this has led to propagation of endemic violence. In addition, the groups have been able to tap into other illegal economic activities such as prostitution and extortion rackets. The increasing globalization has amplified trade in firearms, making the unfavourable situation worse. Drug trafficking is the principal factor behind the ever increasing violence levels within the region and a significant driver of homicide rates in Central America, especially the northern triangle of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras (Shifter 2012, p. 4). The region details presence of insurgent groups, which oversee the production and trafficking of drugs. The geographical positioning remains a predicament as it has also partly contributed to the increase in drug trafficking. The Central American Countries are sandwiched between some of the biggest producers of illegal drugs in South America and the leading consumer of illicit drugs, the United States. Youth gangs are a massive contributor to the increased rates of violence within the region. This mainly affects men between the age of 15 and 34, who account for the largest perpetrators and victims of homicide. They also make up the membership of the gangs. Gangs contribute significantly to violence in the region despite their limited role in narcotics trade. The youths encounter violence in socialization spaces such as family and state institutions; this leads to a deep entrenchment of culture of violence within their life (Cunningham 2008, p. 109). The lengthy armed conflict and civil war historical to the region have made availability of firearms easy. This is because the region is awash in weapons attributable to colossal importations during the armed conflicts within the region. The country features weakened institutions due to high corruption levels, hence soiling the legitimacy of the key state institutions such as criminal justice system. As a result, the masses have less trust in the criminal justice system, and are more inclined to disregard the rule of law. In addition, geographical barriers to interdiction, especially the complex-to-monitor political borders, have frustrated efforts to stem the vice. The prevalent weak criminal justice system within the region lessens the efficacy of crime and violence punishment as well as prevention. The pervasive institutional weakness results to a low percentage of crimes being solved, and this makes most perpetrators go scot free (Cunningham 2008, p. 109). Similarly, the region features underreporting of crimes and violence due to citizens’ mistrust of the criminal justice system. The criminal justice system is weak and underfunded; this contributes to its failure to match the challenge of stopping violence. This has resulted to citizens taking up crime and delinquency fighting through programmes such as off-the-grid patrols and undercover militia. The result has been a dangerous and chaotic society. In addition, the rise in drug gangs is increasingly becoming a threat to democracy in the region. Powerful cartels in the region influence the governance structure in the region, especially through manipulations of elections by using threats and even running their own candidates. Violence in Guatemala Guatemala is in the process of healing from a thirty-six year civil war, which had destabilized the country and made it a haven for armed gangs and the drug trade. Recently, the country has witnessed a deep infiltration of a Mexican cartel, Los Zetas, which has been carving out new territory as well as causing a fresh wave of violence in the country. Gangs utilize instrumental violence as a symbol of strength or control (International Crisis Group 2011, p. 2). Guatemala grapples with two main criminal elements; transnational drug cartels that engage in extensive illicit drug trade and street gangs that engage in selling drugs at retail levels. On top of drug smuggling, the gangs engage in other crimes such as robbery and extortion. Gangs such as Mara Salvatrucha use violence to terrorize and intimidate neighbourhoods into coercion. The gangs utilize violence as a tool to derive status regardless of whether it is short lived. Gangs utilize despotic means such as robbery and murder to gain notoriety and amass possessions. Youth gangs commonly referred as Mara’ virtually account for half of the crimes in Guatemala (Bruneau, Dammert & Skinner 2011, p. 204). However, crime and violence is not limited to the drug trade and other crimes such as persistent abductions, money laundering, extortion, and human trafficking. Organized crime is responsible for the high number of violent deaths recorded in the region as well as kidnappings and human trafficking. Organized crime has been the chief cause of violence in Guatemala as well as the resultant socioeconomic vulnerability. As the drug syndicates become more aggressive, so do rates of violence. Although militarization of the offensive on organized crime has been a bit effective in reducing the incidences of violence, the effort does not deflate the long-term ability of the gangs to carry on business as usual. Guatemala’s porous border with Mexico has also contributed to the surge in violence due to easy access of many traffickers and other criminals (Cunningham 2008, p. 111). Other factors contributing to the surge of violence in the country include endemic poverty, easy access to weapons, a history of societal violence, and an ineffective law enforcement and judicial system. The violence has been a massive obstacle to economic development in the region and has subjected a significant size of the population into poverty (Committee on International Relations 2006, p. 62). A sizeable percent of the country’s GDP is used in combating the violence in terms of citizen security, law enforcement, and healthcare. This leads to a decreased investment in social development. As a result, this has condemned the region into recurrent human and economic underdevelopment and poverty, which is occasioned by the polluted investment environment (Levinson 2002, p. 1006). Domestic Violence Domestic violence can be categorized into physical, psychological, and sexual. Large numbers of women are victims of intimate violence as well as interfamilial violence in the country (Sanford 2008, p.104). Physical violence is the prevalent form of intimate violence in the region. Although the homicide rate of women is lower than that of the youth, women are victims of both sexual and interpersonal violence fuelled by an ingrained gender inequality, marginalization and discrimination of women. In addition, the state utilizes instrumental violence to intimidate and ensure compliance (Ball, Kobrak & Spider 1999, p. 9). In some contexts, the state (security forces and judicial system) has been unable to avail legal and legitimate means to resolve social conflicts within the region. In Guatemala, the employment of state-sponsored arbitrary violence is further bolstered by corruption (Shifter, 2012, p. 8). This systematizes impunity, which allows crime and violence to flourish. The state also utilizes repressive measures such as arbitrary detentions and extrajudicial killings to curb gang activity. Conclusion Crime and Violence is a vice that must be stopped if sanity is to return to the region; this demands a coordinated action from all fronts. Beyond the trauma and suffering of the targets of the crime and violence, the region has incurred staggering social, health, and economic costs. Enforcing an integrated regional planning that mitigates the violence can aid in slowing down the litany of crimes in the region. This can be achieved through persistent activism, which sensitizes on civic and ethical values of the population, stiffer laws, proper enforcement of justice, coordination among various institutions, and promotion of social equity. The mechanisms that address the requirements of the youth so as to deter them from organized crime such as accessibility to employment opportunities, education, and sports are also helpful. The strategies demand actions along multitude fronts, which should be coupled with prevention and justice system reform as well as an enhancement of police capacity. References List Ball, P., Kobrak, P. & Spider, H. (1999). State violence in Guatemala, 1960-1996: A quantitative reflection, New York, The American Association for the Advancement of Science. pp.9-48. Bruneau, T., Dammert, L., & Skinner, E. (2011). Maras: Gang violence and security in Central America, Austin, University of Texas. pp. 204-210. Committee on International Relations (2006). Gangs and Crime in Latin America youth and gang violence, Washington, U.S. Government Printing Office. pp.60-64. Cunningham, W. (2008). Youth at risk in Latin America and the Caribbean: Understanding the causes, realizing the potential, Washington, The World Bank. pp. 109-111. Graduate Institute of International and Developmental Studies. (2010). Small arms survey 2010: Gangs, groups, and guns, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press. pp. 139-141. International Crisis Group (2011). Guatemala: Drug trafficking and violence, Latin America Report 39, pp.1-27. Jutersonke, O., Muggah, R. & Rodgers, D. (2009). Gangs, urban violence, and security interventions in Central America, Security Dialogue 40(5), pp.373-397. Levinson, D. (2002). Encyclopedia of crime and punishment, Volume 1-4, London, Sage. pp.1005-1007. Moser, C. & Mcllwaine, C. (2004). Encounters with violence in Latin America: Urban poor perceptions from Colombia and Guatemala, New York, Routledge. pp.1-14. Sanford, V. (2008). From genocide to feminicide: Impunity and human rights in twenty-first century Guatemala, Journal of Human Rights 7(1), pp.104-122. Seelke, C., Wyler, L., & Beittle, J. (2010). Latin America and the Caribbean: Illicit drug trafficking and the U.S. counterdrug programs, Washington, Congressional Research Service. pp.1-34. Shifter, M. (2012). Countering criminal violence in Central America, Council on Foreign Relations 64(1), pp.3-34. Read More