ABSTRACT
This volume aims to go beyond the study of developments within Mexico’s criminal world and their relationship with the state and law enforcement. It focuses instead on the nature and consequences of what we call the ‘totalization of the drug war’, and its projection on other domains which are key to understanding the nature of Mexican democracy.
The volume brings together chapters written by distinguished scholars from Mexico and elsewhere who deal with three major questions: what are the main features of and forces behind the persistent militarization of the drug war in Mexico, and what are the main consequences for human rights and the rule of law; what are the consequences of these developments on the public sphere and, more specifically, on the functioning of the press and freedom of expression; and how do ordinary people engage with the effects of violence and insecurity within their communities, and which initiatives and practices of ‘justice from below’ do they develop to counter an increased sense of vulnerability, suffering and impunity?
TABLE OF CONTENTS
chapter |29 pages
Introduction
part I|65 pages
Securitization, militarization and human rights
chapter 1|22 pages
U.S. pressure and Mexican anti-drugs efforts from 1940 to 1980
part II|52 pages
The public sphere and the press under siege
chapter 4|15 pages
Violence, co-optation and corruption
chapter 6|21 pages
Social movements in support of the victims
part III|38 pages
Justice and reconciliation from below