Jonathan D. Rosen is assistant professor of criminal justice at Holy Family University.Bruce Bagley holds a PhD in political science from the University of California, Los Angeles.Jorge Chabat is professor in the Department of Pacific Studies at the University of Guadalajara.

With Latin America experiencing the highest rates of crime and violence in the world, this volume could not be more timely and important. It brings together some of the smartest thinkers in the region, from Mexico to the southern cone. The volume will be especially essential for anyone wishing to stay up to date on the rapidly changing and enormously complex criminal landscape in the Americas that goes well beyond the familiar terrain of drug trafficking and drug violence.

• 1.Criminally Possessed States: A Theoretical Approach- Jorge Chabat 2.Organized Crime in Mexico: State Fragility, “Criminal Enclaves,” and a Violent Disequilibrium-Nathan Jones3.The Dimensions of Violence in Mexico: Roberto Zepeda and Jonathan D. Rosen 4.Combating Organized Crime, Violence, and Public Insecurity in Mexico: The Case of Tijuana: David Rocha, Roberto Zepeda, and Jonathan D. Rosen5.The Collapse of Mexico’s Police and the Militarization of Public Security-Sigrid Arzt6.At a Crossroads: Can Guatemala Prevail in Fight against Violence? Adriana Beltrán 7.Chronic Violence, Organized Crime, and the State in El Salvador- Christine J. Wade8.Green Crime: The Environmental Links between States and Organized Crime-Mark Ungar9.Organized Crime and the State in Venezuela under Chavismo- John Polga-Hecimovich10.Making Sense of Colombia’s “Post-Conflict” Conflict-Adam Isacson 11.Colombia after the FARC- Victor J. Hinojosa 12.The Colombian Peace Accord: Historic Achievement, Daunting Obstacles- Bruce Bagley and Jonathan D. Rosen13. Corruption in Colombia-Fernando Cepeda Ulloa14.How Does the State Determines Illegal Drugs and Organize Crime? Evidence from Ecuador-Nashira Chávez and Pryanka Peñafiel15.Coca, Organized Crime, and (Non-)Violence in BoliviaMarten W. Brienen 16. Organized Crime and the State in Brazil- Michael Jerome Wolff17.Organized Crime in Argentina: The Politics of Laissez-Faire- Sebastián Antonino Cutrona18.Conclusions- Bruce Bagley, Jorge Chabat, Amanda M. Gurecki, and Jonathan D. Rosen