Organized Crime in Colombia

Paper Summary:

This paper explores Colombia's history of organized crime and political turbulence, with particular attention to the economic backdrop, as well as the many attempts at remedying the devastating conditions. The paper contends that in order to eliminate organized crime, Colombian governments must first believe that they can, and demonstrate unfettered intolerance in a constant endeavour to create positive change.

From the Paper:

"The 18th Century Colombian economy was reliant upon gold mining. In 1780, towns erupted in Southern Colombia and the gold boom was enhanced by contraband gold and textile trades. This gradually transcended into networks of illegal imports of US contraband goods that linked Colombia, Miami, and Panama. In the late 19th Century, Medellin established itself as an economic power for coffee production, banking, and light industry, boosting Colombia's economy, land, and labour growth, and swelling the country's "coffee axis" (Hylton, 2008). During this time, Colombia's populace included Indians, blacks (previously slaves), and white immigrants who made up a fragmented and rapidly dying working class. As the turn of the century encroached, most made up the impoverished masses, and were increasingly restricted from politics (Hall, 2006)."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Gutierrez, F. (2003). Institutionalizing global wars: State transformations in Colombia, 1978-2002. Journal of International Affairs, 57(1), p135.
• Hall, M. (2006). Contentious Republicans: Popular politics, race, and class in 19th CenturyColombia. Journal of Third World Studies, 23(2), 256-258.
• Hylton, F. (2008). Medellin: The peace of the pacifiers. NACLA Report on the Americas, 41(1),35-45.
• Hylton, F. (2006). Politics as organized crime in Colombia. NACLA Report on the Americas,39(6), 4-7.
• Lacy, S., & Riano-Alcala, P. (2006). Medellin, Colombia: Reinhabiting memory. Art Journal,65(4), 97-113.

More papers on Organized Crime in Colombia:

• Research Paper # 14801 : "Drugs In Colombia"
• Article Review # 90887 : "Two Articles on Hong Kong Organized Crime in the 1990s."
• Research Paper # 110594 : "Eurasian Organized Crime in the United States"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: