Original scientific paper
SECURITY-RELATED NARCO-THREATS TO DEMOCRACIES OF THE NORTHERN TRIANGLE
Lidija Kos-Stanišić
orcid.org/0000-0002-9013-6088
; Faculty of Political Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
Contrary to expectations, the signing of the Central American peace accord
and the democratization that followed failed to generate peace and security to
the citizens of the Northern Triangle countries. Instead, Guatemala, Honduras
and El Salvador were enveloped in a new wave of violence. Most criminal activities,
insecurity and violence are caused by Drug Trafficking Organizations
(DTO), which at the moment represent a greater threat to regional security
than the wars led in the 1980s. They are the crucial violators of human rights,
and state institutions in charge of implementing the law are too weak to successfully
take them on. This paper portrays the activity of the Mexican drug
cartels, the transportistas and members of the mara in the Northern Triangle
countries. It emphasizes that high murder rates and insecurity have significant
impact on the citizens’ attitudes towards democratic efficiency, making them
more prone to accepting repressive methods of fighting crime and insecurity,
as well as undemocratic behavior and the approval of a military comeback
into the political arena. The paper concludes that after a prolonged period of
citizen dissatisfaction with the way democracy is working, an erosion of legitimacy
might occur, which would, in turn, broaden the space for DTOs and
their criminal activities.
Keywords
Northern Triangle; Guatemala; Honduras; El Salvador; Drug Trafficking Organizations
Hrčak ID:
107676
URI
Publication date:
23.9.2013.
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