Indigenous Resistance to Criminal Governance in Mexico

Overview

• Indigenous resistance to organized crime: This study examines why some indigenous communities in Mexico resist drug cartels better than others.
• Key comparisons: Focuses on two regions: Montaña/Costa Chica (Guerrero) and Sierra Tarahumara (Chihuahua).

Key Arguments

• Ineffectiveness of indigenous laws alone: While indigenous customary laws can provide communal accountability, they are insufficient without external support systems.
• Importance of social mobilization: Communities with a history of social mobilization have lower cartel influence due to expanded regional ethnic autonomy.
• Translocal cooperation: The ability to build networks among villages enhances resistance against cartel infiltration.

Methodology

• Paired comparison study: Utilizes a comparative analysis of Guerrero and Chihuahua.
• Interviews: Conducted over 30 interviews with indigenous leaders and authorities to understand community dynamics and responses to cartels.

Context

• Post-2006 violence: Significant increase in drug-related violence after President Calderón's drug war declaration.
• Fragmentation of cartels: Increased local struggles for control led to the rise of various organized crime groups (OCGs) targeting indigenous regions.
• Geography: Both regions are ideal for drug cultivation and trafficking, further intensifying the competition among cartels.

Critical Factors Influencing Resistance

• Historical mobilization: Guerrero's indigenous movements have led to the establishment of Coordinadora Regional de Autoridades Comunitarias–Policía Comunitaria (CRAC-PC), a local policing body.
• Community structure: Guerrero uses a community policing model selected through local assemblies, enhancing accountability and reducing corruption.
• Networks of solidarity: Communities in Guerrero rely on translocal ties to create a collective resistance to external threats.

Key Institutional Features of CRAC-PC

• Community governance: Elected members serve as police and prosecutor without financial compensation, fostering a strong sense of honor and shame.
• Public hearings: Local assemblies adjudicate disputes based on customary laws, which strengthens community ties and accountability.
• Collective defense: In times of threat, neighboring communities come together for protection, demonstrating solidarity and operational strength.

Contrasting Outcomes in Tarahumara

• Isolation and fragmentation: Lack of historical mobilization leaves Tarahumara communities more vulnerable to cartel takeover, leading to violent rule rather than community governance.
• Weak local institutions: Traditional governance structures lack the transcommunity connections necessary for effective resistance.
• High cartel influence: Cartels have more easily infiltrated local police forces, leading to increased violence and community disintegration.

Statistical Analysis

• Wider implications: Analyzed 881 indigenous municipalities to confirm the relationship between mobilization, ethnic autonomy, and resilience to narco violence.
• Findings: Mobilization combined with ethnic autonomy institutions significantly deters organized crime governance.

Conclusion

• Strength of localized practices: The ability to resist narco governance is rooted in successfully scaling local practices to the regional level.
• Role of societal movements: Indigenous communities mobilizing collectively can create effective governance structures that protect against violent external influences.
• Implications for policy: Highlight potential for community-led movements to offer alternative frameworks for security in vulnerable regions.