The Mano Dura Promise: Dilemmas of Human Rights and Security in New Latin American Democracies

dc.contributor.advisorHirsch, Susan F.
dc.contributor.authorShipp, George F., Jr.
dc.creatorShipp, George F., Jr
dc.date2012-12-05
dc.date.accessioned2013-02-18T17:49:06Z
dc.date.availableNO_RESTRICTION
dc.date.available2013-02-18T17:49:06Z
dc.date.issued2013-02-18
dc.description.abstractViolent crime rates associated with drug trafficking and the availability of small arms in Latin America is alarmingly high. A variety of frameworks for combatting this kind of crime exists. Some crime-stopping tactics involve the coordination of the international community and others encompass the participation and cooperation of the societies within the affected nations. Yet despite the availability of these tactics, individuals in some Central American nations have demonstrated a preference for mano dura, an aggressive strategy against crime that targets perpetrators with harsh punishments. Mano dura, translated both as ‘iron fist’ or ‘strong hand,’ is an extremely important crime-fighting strategy to study today since it reminds many proponents of democracy of the authoritarian regimes that are still fresh in the minds of many Latin Americans. This thesis explores why Latin American populations express support for mano dura today, despite the potential dangers it presents. Throughout this project, the current situation in Guatemala is examined in detail since crime rates there are among the highest in the region and because the nation’s newly elected president promised he would clean up crime using a mano dura strategy. The thesis, which is supported by theoretical arguments and evidence from case studies, illustrates that the populations preferring mano dura are part of a society surrounded in the memory, imagery, and discourse of violence. Had civil war conflict resolution in Latin America involved a greater degree of restorative measures and the participation of local communities, then mano dura may not have become such an attractive policy for individuals today.
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1920/8022
dc.language.isoen
dc.subjectMano Dura
dc.subjectCrime strategies
dc.subjectLatin American policing
dc.subjectMoral panic
dc.subjectHuman rights and security
dc.subjectCulture of violence
dc.titleThe Mano Dura Promise: Dilemmas of Human Rights and Security in New Latin American Democracies
dc.typeThesis
thesis.degree.disciplineConflict Analysis and Resolution
thesis.degree.disciplineConflict Resolution and Mediterranean Security
thesis.degree.grantorGeorge Mason University
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Malta
thesis.degree.levelMaster's
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Science in Conflict Analysis and Resolution
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Arts in Conflict Resolution and Mediterranean Security

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