Abstract
This article explores the causes underlying a strong presence of violent non-state actors (VNSAs) in South America. Based on a case study of the border area between Colombia and Venezuela, the research relies on a broad empirical data collected from newspapers, official documents and interviews. The analytical perspective has been grounded on a theoretical framework of four dimensions: (i) funding and illegal activities, (ii) presence in strategic regions, (iii) low state presence and (iv) violence, which identifies different forms of presence of VNSAs. When questioned about how VNSAs create new forms of alternative governance in a territorial space of fragile statehood, the results tend to reveal a context in which state governance seems to overlap the alternative and illegal governance of VNSAs, creating a fragile and hybrid governance in the region.
Highlights
Introduction of dimensions they are presenting In Latin America, as well as in other regions of the world, Levitsky (2008) identified the existence of black spots in “black spots” are formed in places where the governance territorial spaces to indicate fruitful areas for operations of the state is deficitary, lacking in the guarantee of basic conducted by illegal groups and suggested that: “‘Black services to the population of those regions, and causing a spots’ are localized areas within a state, vacuum that would be soon filled by the non-governmental over which the government has no formal governance
The authority of non-state armed groups—or more precisely, type of order prevailing in those territories is almost always Violent Non-State Actors (VNSAs)—that conduct activunknown by government authorities and the international ities such as money laundering, arms trafficking, trafficking community.”
We explore the initial low state presence in the development of public policies, argument about alternative governance on the Colombian that has reinforced violent non-state actors (VNSAs) in strategic regions; third, ex- and Venezuelan borders in order to offer some conclusions
Summary
Violent non-State Actors and New Forms of Governance: Exploring the Colombian and Venezuelan Border Zone. Abstract:This article explores the causes underlying a strong presence of violent non-state actors (VNSAs) in South America. The analytical perspective has been grounded on a theoretical framework of four dimensions: (i) funding and illegal activities, (ii) presence in strategic regions, (iii) low state presence and (iv) violence, which identifies different forms of presence of VNSAs. When questioned about how VNSAs create new forms of alternative governance in a territorial space of fragile statehood, the results tend to reveal a context in which state governance seems to overlap the alternative and illegal governance of VNSAs, creating a fragile and hybrid governance in the region.
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