E-raamat: Violence in the Americas

Violence in contemporary Latin America takes many different forms, and is hard to measure precisely or to explain fully. This up to date survey of almost all the major countries affected by this major scourge serves to illustrate the complexities involved, and to highlight the many diverse obstacles to effective remedial policies. -- Laurence Whitehead, Oxford University Latin Americas unprecedented generalization of electoral democracy, along with sustained economic growth and poverty reduction, generated expectations that a new era was at hand. Sadly, however, many countries have experienced equally unprecedented increases in criminality. Kassab and Rosen, prolific Latin American specialists on security matters, have produced a serious, well documented study of this scourge. Country chapters by experts focus on criminal gangs, drug traffickers, political violences legacy, and weak institutions. A must read for the latest data and insights on criminal violences corrosive effects on so many Latin American nations. -- David Scott Palmer, Boston University Violence in the Americas is a must-read for those interested in understanding one of the most pressing issues affecting this continent. The contributors to this volume demonstrate with key case studies the very complex nature of violence in a very unequal region. Kassab and Rosen selected the right works to provide a comprehensive overview of the trends, nature and main causes of violence, policies to fight this problem, and challenges met by different governments that share a variety of conditions, but also diverge in many other aspects. -- Guadalupe Correa-Cabrera, George Mason University