The challenges of security in Michoacán

Abstract

The proliferation of armed civilian groups has become an issue of international concern for organizations such as the UN, insofar as they represent an image of fragmented, violent nations that find no middle ground between security and justice. In Mexico, community police, self-defense groups and discreetly armed vigilante groups have grown exponentially as a result of the war on drugs, militarization and insecurity. This article analyzes the emergence of several armed civilian groups and explore their nature and borders with other expressions of armed violence. The case of Michoacán is used as the best example for understanding what is happening as regards public safety in Mexico.