An observer of human affairs today will be appalled by the intensity and pervasiveness of violence in various parts of the world. Globalization and the new technologies of information make news about war, terrorism and other forms of political violence in different corners of the world varilable to everyone at a rate unprecedented in the past. The current surge of political violence is a very disturbing trend. It goes against what was expected to be a steady trend towards progress and prosperity. In fact, economic progress and development is about creating and distributing wealth, rising living standards and improving social indicators. In contrast, political violence, conflict and terrorism destroy human lives and physical assets and reduce social welfare.
Political violence is like “development in regress”. Historians and anthropologists often see political violence as related to movements of social protest against established powers and political scientists stress the often-violent response of the state to these challenges. Economists working in this subject highlight the monopoly of coercion and force by the state and see political violence as related to failures of the state to maintain that monopoly. Political violence is not a homogenous phenomenon and it may take various forms. Internal armed conflict, often between regular armies and rebel, ethnic or revolutionary groups are related to conflicting political agendas of competing groups that cannot be resolved by pacific means due to failures of conflict management institutions.
The political determinants of armed conflict (internal thereof) follow a complex interplay of
ideology, quest for power by competing groups,
country conditions and international conditions. The economic determinants of conflict, in turn, are
often related to poverty, inequality and social exclusion. Another form of political violence is terrorism. This can be led by rebel organizations or revolutionary movements or by the state both as
a response to “revolutionary violence” and also as a way for dominant elites to consolidate power.
Contents
Abstract
I. Introduction
II. The determinants of conflict and terrorism
- 1. Conflict
2. Terrorism
III. Empirical evidence on conflict and terrorism in Latin America conflict
- 1. Terrorist activity
IV. Dealing with political violence: policies for peace and development
V. Insurance of political risk and social protection
VI. Final remarks
References
Serie Macroeconomía del desarrollo: issues published
Tables
Table 1 Armed conflicts in Latin America, 1946-2001
Table 2 Economic and social indicators in Latin America
Table 3 Number of international terrorist attacks by
region, 1991-2002
Table 4 Number of International terrorist attacks by
countries Latin America, 1994-2002
Table 5 Political violence in Latin Amreica (selected cases)
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Political violence and economic development in Latin America
