Gang Violence in Colombia, Mexico and El Salvador analyses three case studies of countries – Colombia, Mexico and El Salvador – that have stood out for their elevated rate of violence, violent homicides and criminal activities linked to confrontations between state forces and armed gangs or between armed gangs themselves.
For each country, the authors – Ana Balcazar Moreno, Ximena Mercedes Galvez Lima, Julie Lambin and Lina Rodriguez – provide an overview of the violence in the country and impact on the civilian population; an overview of the main gangs involved in the violence, their tactics, structure and levels of organization; and an analysis of the states’ responses.
IHL Talk: Armed gang violence: at the crossroad between armed conflict and law enforcement?
In recent years, Latin America has witnessed an increase in the rate of violence and the forced displacement of thousands of people due to insecurity and confrontations between state forces and armed gangs or between these gangs themselves.
This IHL Talk addressed the political, sociological and legal dimensions of the issue of armed gang violence in Latin America, notably in Colombia, Mexico and El Salvador, countries that are severely scourged by the expansion of the phenomena of urban gangs, gang violence and organized crime.
