November 20th GUEST LECTURER November 20, 2019 3:05 PM VIDEO -organizations of violence from criminals -son of el chapo, failed raid -cartel called cavalry recording videos and loud music playing in cars >fought four 4 hours -cartel took soldiers hostage and got kingpin released from govt hold -new govt says hugs not violence >reproducing failed strategies of going after kingpins *BLOODSHED FOR NO REASON, people dead for no reason MEXICOS SECURITY FAILURE OR HOW NOT TO POLICE THE WORLDS MOST POWERFUL CRIMINAL ORGANIZATIONS -how can crime organizations deploy armies, associated with organizations associated with rebel groups WHAT IS GOING ON IN MEXICO RIGHTNOW? -since 06, 150000 crime related homicides, spiked in 07, lowered in 2011, but rising since 2014 >oil theft, abductions, drug trafficking, human trafficking -Mexican govt has violated human rights obtaining information through torture HOW DID MEXICO GET HERE? 1. Democratic transition; after 70 years of autocratic rule 2. Decline of the Caribbean Route; blocking of the Cocaine route -Columbians used to ship cocaine through Caribbean's -US govt blocked these corridors, used Mexico 3. NAFTA -Mexico's economy weakened in 90's,80's; investment was poor -Mexican govt needed to find new ways to revitalize economy, 95: NAFTA was created CONSEQUENCES FOR MEXICOS POLICE SYSTEM 1. End of Mexico's state sponsored protection racket -drug producers paid fees to local authorities to keep business going -Mexican higher authorities received some money as well -most policing agencies were incapable of conducting a case against cartels -police still collected rent from cartels but could not provide security from other cartels or other policing 2. Mexican Cartels gain control over cocaine distribution 3. More drugs and weapons cross the Mexico-us border 4. Slums emerge in industrial cities STATE SPONSORED PROTECTION RACKETS -Mexico changed and became circle D *blocking of Caribbean; Columbians shipped from Caribbean to Mexico >balance of power shifted in criminal underworld, Columbians paid Mexicans to introduce cocaine to Americans >Columbians realized shipping was risky with Mexicans, so they bought >Mexicans bought from Columbians, took care of transportation and distribution *Price at which to buy cocaine from Columbia compared to Toronto >Mexicans selling at crazy high prices and buying cheap from Columbia *STARBUCKS EFFECT; coffee prices have gone higher just like cocaine, cheap in Columbia *NAFTA: exchanges at US-Mexico crossings >most crossed borders >tiny fractions are ever inspected >easy to introduce firearms to US >Mexico has highest restrictions to own firearm >caused huge slums in Mexico >allowed Canada and US to produce goods in Mexico cheaply >Mexico workers earn a sixth of what US/Can worker earns >huge neighbourhoods around industrial cities without social construct to support these people *Criminal organizations provided better lifestyle HOW DID THE MEXICAN GOVT TRY TO CONTROL THIS NEW ENVIRONMENT? 1) Deployment of 45,000 soldiers to Mexico's Streets >to try to contain cartels >blunt instrument in fight against criminal activity >most soldiers had no training on how to conduct police investigation 2) Kingpin Strategy >peeling or capturing leaders of most powerful organizations >only contributed to increasing violence by a) violent succession struggle b) incentives to attack groups that had been weakened by missing leader c) death or capture of leader, organizations lost contacts to conduct complex operations d) more incentives to arm themselves and fight back with more armoury *govt tried to improve by adapting dynamic model >inquisitorial; prosecutors fabricate evidence and generate case file for judge, defendant would have to prove innocence (guilty until innocent) >to adversial system; prosecutors have to prove guilt (innocent until proven guilty) *Mexican lawyers not good; use torture, bad case files 3. Criminal Justice System Reform THE PUZZLE OF LOGISTICALLY COMPLEX VIOLENCE -between 2008-2013: Los Zetas employed violence that were complex from ,logistical perspective -Groups such as insurgent and mafia organization can deploy violence. Profit driven firms lack capacity violent operations that are complex, represent anomaly -answer; Los Zetas PICTURE -Los Zetas; employed defensive systems compounding entire cities, very advanced -how did these cartels become so complex in violence? >Weber: organizations cannot carry out large scale attacks without adopting management styles (maintained through binding mechanisms) ^usually rely on govt for this, in underworld operate without protection of the state WHY IS LOGISTICALLY COMPLEX OC VIOLENCE PUZZLE? -PICTURE -most criminal organizations in world look like -violent organizations have higher likelihood of non-compliance >in theory cant produce complex violence HOW OUTLAW ORGANIZATIONS OVERCOME LIMITATIONG RESULTING FROM LACK OF LEGAL PROTECTION? -PICTURE -outlaw groups can develop systems or groups based on political agendas (ISIS, Al-Qaeda) -Los Zetas did not operate with external help, and did not display what researchers expect ALTERNATIVE EXPLANATIONS -INSERT PICTURE -modern military institutions, processes devised to promote members to hierarchy >subordination of identity and needs of individuals to violence >totality measure; undercutting individuality and autonomy, nothing to do with individuals own desires >military infiltrate mechanic responses, reproducing hierarchy, labour divisions THE TRANSFER OF A MILITARY... -99; leader of gulf cartel >Guzman was apart of elite unit in military >hired recruits, served as body guards for new leader -criminal recognition relied on corrupt soldiers and police >keep jobs but also work positions >military personnel resigned and joined cartels -Los Zetas; not first criminal organizations with military >it was first to have roots and ethos of military >influenced jargons, behaviours of army *posters calling out military personnel to join cartel *even trained those without military background -Los Zetas was small bodyguard group >could carry out small military routines -Los Zetas numbers grew, could act on large scale military tasks >protect territories from police, inherited from military -Los zetas personnel live almost as monks >Narcos and other cartel life of luxury is only for some >most of them live in shitty conditions -Hawks; informants, don’t get paid but still need to do job and will be killed and family *not the same for all criminal organizations What was the incentive to join cartels from military pov? -money for those in special forces -some trained in US, Israeli, Columbian (not a big salary) -there is a lot of corruption in police and military (supervisors, colleagues) >safer -criminal organizations military can be like legal institutions, govt, and
