Criminal Non-State Actors

Table of Contents

1. Frontmatter

2. Chapter 1. Introduction: Criminal Entities as a Distinct Typology of Non-state Actors and Its Role in South America

   Marcos Alan Ferreira

   Abstract

   Recognizing the broad range of non-state actors discussed in scholarly literature, this book specifically concentrates on a distinct subset. More precisely, the focus is directed toward the examination of criminal non-state actors (CNSAs), which have played a significant role in shaping the recent history of South America. A novel perspective is introduced regarding the conceptualization of criminal actors, positioning them as a distinct typology among non-state actors.

3. Chapter 2. Conceptualizing Criminal Non-state Actors

   Marcos Alan Ferreira

   Abstract

   This chapter introduces the conceptual framework of this book, focusing on a specific category of non-state actors operating across borders. Specifically, it delves into criminal non-state actors capable of conducting their operations globally, extending beyond the boundaries of the state in which the criminal organization originated. Here these actors are examined taking into account three elements: activities, structure, and governance capacity.

4. Chapter 3. Governance Capacities and Criminal Non-state Actors: Dominating the Local to Expand Globally

   Marcos Alan Ferreira

   Abstract

   This chapter examines how criminal governance is structured and the characteristics enabling a criminal non-state actor (CNSA) to accumulate local power capable of spilling over its capacities to be a significant player in contemporary international relations. Subsequently, it introduces an extension of this discussion, termed the concept of hybrid governance. Finally, the chapter brings concluding remarks reflecting on how criminal and hybrid governance serve as fundamental foundations for criminal non-state actors (CNSAs) to become global actors, extending their localized authority from a specific social space to the international sphere.

5. Chapter 4. Pioneering Criminal Non-state Actors in South America: The Rise and Downfall of Colombia Drug Cartels and Their Consequences

   Marcos Alan Ferreira

   Abstract

   A comprehensive examination of criminal non-state actors in Latin America requires understanding the pivotal organizations in the international drug trade, particularly cocaine, which originated in Colombia, notably during the 1970s. In a context of expanding cocaine consumption in the United States and Europe, sophisticated organizations began to emerge and operate internationally throughout the entire drug production chain, controlling everything from the purchase of coca leaves, through the processing of the narcotic, and finally, engaging in the logistical distribution of the final product. This chapter examines this historical background.

6. Chapter 5. Comando Vermelho: From a Prison Gang to a Transnational Criminal Organization

   Marcos Alan Ferreira

   Abstract

   This chapter examines the case of the Red Command (CV, Comando Vermelho), which differs from other criminal organizations (CNSAs) operating in Rio de Janeiro and various states in Brazil. Created in the late 1970s in Rio de Janeiro, the CV is recognized as the country’s inaugural organized criminal group centered on the logistics and sale of illicit drugs. While its inception was not specifically focused on drug trafficking, today it stands as its primary enterprise, establishing connections with criminal groups in Colombia, Peru, and even other continents.

7. Chapter 6. Brazilian Organizations as Transnational Criminal Non-state Actors: The Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC)

   Marcos Alan Ferreira

   Abstract

   This chapter analyzes the evolution of the Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC), a Brazilian criminal organization with unique features, and one of the most iconic criminal organizations operating in South America and even worldwide. The group has transformed greatly since its emergence in the 1990s. Originally a group advocating for human rights, the PCC has since become a transnational criminal non-state actor, entrenched in drug trafficking. Created by inmates at Taubaté Prison, the PCC is currently a key trigger of violence in South America, particularly in regions where it engages in competition within the drug market against its primary adversary or their associates–the CV.

8. Chapter 7. Brazilian Amazon as Locus of Criminal Non-State Actors in South America

   Marcos Alan Ferreira

   Abstract

   When examining criminal networks in the Amazon forest region, two key questions emerge: How do the dynamics of criminal non-state actors operate along the Brazilian Amazon borders, considering their significance in international drug logistics toward Europe, Africa, and Asia? How do tensions, conflicts, and impacts unfold between these organizations? To explore these questions, this chapter examines the hybrid governance on the Brazilian Amazon borders, in which criminal organizations and state authority coexist in the region.

9. Backmatter