Guatemala

Social Banditry and the Public Persona of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán

Peter J. Munson — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 07:30:00 +0000

Social Banditry and the Public Persona of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán Peter J. Munson Mon, 04/29/2013 - 3:30am

This article reviews nine key insights into social banditry originally described by Eric Hobsbawm and examines their applicability regarding Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, leader of Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel. Because some of Mexico’s organized crime leaders aim to be viewed as social bandits, and visit Guatemala and the Mexico-Guatemala border region to evade authorities, the article focuses on particularities of those culture zones in the potential application of three primary strategies of information operations to contest a social bandit’s prestige: emphasizing distance between the social bandit and the local poor, portraying collusion of the social bandit with local authorities and opposition to federal authorities, and emphasizing closeness between federal power and the local poor. A criminal organization leader who desires the prestige of social banditry would have cause to oppose each strategy. The analysis predicts that the first two strategies are more realistic, potentially more important strategically, and are more likely to become intensely contested through Information Operations, within culture areas of Guatemala and the Mexico-Guatemala border region.

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Why Mexico's Zetas Expanded Faster than their Rivals

Peter J. Munson — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 19:46:22 +0000

Why Mexico's Zetas Expanded Faster than their Rivals

"Why Mexico's Zetas Expanded Faster than their Rivals" by Steven Dudley and Viridiana Rios

Insight Crime Sunday 21 April 2013

The Zetas are not the only extremely violent, military-style criminal organization from Mexico. Yet, they are the only one that operates in 350 Mexican municipalities, as well as numerous others in Guatemala and Central America. Why have they been able to expand faster than their rivals?

Read it here.

Peter J. Munson Wed, 04/24/2013 - 3:46pm

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Supporting Rebels: Three Conditions for Success

Peter J. Munson — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 08:30:00 +0000

Supporting Rebels: Three Conditions for Success Peter J. Munson Thu, 02/28/2013 - 3:30am

Under certain conditions, supporting rebels can achieve strategic objectives without causing instability or humanitarian catastrophe.

The Guatemalan Prelude

Peter J. Munson — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 04:31:26 +0000

The Guatemalan Prelude

The CIA’s Small War that Killed the Monroe Doctrine and Marked a New Era of American Diplomacy

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About the Author(s)

Understanding Informational Features of Transnational Criminal Networks: Cases from Mexico and Guatemala

Peter J. Munson — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 01:02:41 +0000

Understanding Informational Features of Transnational Criminal Networks: Cases from Mexico and Guatemala Peter J. Munson Mon, 04/09/2012 - 9:02pm

A look at the gray agents - the public servants, political actors, or security agents - that promote criminal interests.

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