Ruling Violently: The Exercise of Criminal Governance By The Mexican Cartel
By Carolina Sampó, Nicole Jenne, Marcos Alan Ferreira
This article analyzes the criminal governance exercised by the Mexican criminal organization Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), contributing to the scarce information available on this topic. Specifically, we ask how the CJNG has exercised territorial control to ensure the operation of its businesses, mostly concentrated in the production and sale of illegal drugs. Based on a small number of existing studies and publicly available information, we argue that the CJNG relies on a dual system of territorial control consisting of the prioritization of violent coercion vis-à-vis its opponents together with a discourse of protecting Mexicans sustained by selected initiatives to provide security and other basic services to the population to gain legitimacy. This combination has allowed the cartel to grow and expand rapidly over the last decade.
Revista Científica General José María Córdova, 21(43), 647-665.2023