Conceptualizing Criminal Governance in Authoritarian Contexts

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Rebecca Hanson
Kellogg Visiting Fellow

How do multiple and competing armed groups operate in 21st century authoritarian contexts? What relationships do state actors cultivate with these groups? And what implications do these various relationships have for the survival of authoritarian states? While authoritarian states have historically been characterized by an excessive centralization of power, cases across the contemporary Global South suggest that the decentralization and pluralization of violence are also key to authoritarian leaders staying in power. Drawing on ethnographic, interview, and survey data collected over a ten-year period in Venezuela, my project analyzes how relationships between multiple armed groups and the state have evolved over time, shaping both state survival strategies and lived experiences in communities where different armed actors vie for control. By analyzing how different armed groups operate under authoritarian power, my project moves forward current conversations on plural violence, criminal governance, and authoritarian regimes in the Global South.