Las Violencias: Comparing Colombia's and the North Caucasus' Violence

Abstract

This article compares the conflicts in Colombia and the North Caucasus. This article argues that there are similarities in the nature of the conflicts. The Colombian period of La Violencia began with two parties to the conflict. After La Violencia, new groups, guerrillas, entered the conflict which prompted a response from the Colombian military. In turn, these dynamics gave rise to the paramilitary organisations. In the North Caucasus, the First Chechen War was fought between two parties: the Chechen government and the Russian Federation. This conflict also evolved to include warlords, terrorists, separatists and insurgents. Both conflicts experience circular violence and in both instances, there is a strong degree of state clientelism present, which hampers the installation of effective rule of law.