Urban crime in the global south: the experience of Latin America

Latin America enjoys the doubtful reputation of being the most violent region in the world. This violence is predominantly urban and commonly related to crime as the prime driver. This chapter analyzes the Latin American experience of urban crime, violence, and insecurity. The core argument is that crime and violence are integrated – as strategies of territorial, social, and political control – into the social, political, and cultural fabric that shape much of urban life in the region. The chapter surveys the magnitude and nature of crime and (lethal) urban violence in the region, the nature of violence, violent actors, and key causes and drivers of urban crime and violence. Then the chapter argues that the legal state is often not only a key protagonist of urban violence but also enters into a variety of perverse forms of rule that can be defined as ‘criminal governance’ in contested urban spaces. The final section addresses the socio-spatial implications of crime, violence, and insecurity in Latin American cities. In this context, different strategies for urban resilience can be identified. The chapter illustrates these with brief examples from three cities: Quetzaltenango (Guatemala), Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), and Medellín (Colombia).