Non-State Armed Actors and Political Legitimacy in Violent Societies

• In Event: New Perspectives on Politics and Violence

Abstract

Several countries in Latin America face some of the highest levels of criminal violence in the world. Paradoxically, recent processes of democratization in the region may have opened the space for more violent contestation from emergent non-state armed actors and criminal groups. Countries such as Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador have also been struggling to reform and consolidate their political institutions after years of military control and systemic corruption. This study explores the impact of the presence of diverse non-state armed groups on political legitimacy in northern Central America. It uses Vanderbilt University’s AmericasBarometer survey data from the Central American countries most affected by gangs and criminal organizations, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. Preliminary findings suggest a differential impact of the presence of non-state armed actors on political legitimacy in unexpected ways.
In many cases, these non-state groups contribute to political legitimacy more than the presence of state actors does. Non-state actors tend to have more consistent control over the territory and they are viewed as more effective providing public safety and maintaining order than state-actors. They also manage to negotiate with local institutions to secure services for the population. By examining the impact of these actors on political legitimacy, the paper aims to contribute to the discussion of state capability on developing societies affected by crime.

Author

• Jose Miguel Cruz, Florida International University