Politics and History of Violence and Crime in Central America, Softcover reprint of the original 1st ed. 2017

This book highlights historical explanations to and roots of present phenomena of violence, insecurity, and law enforcement in Central America. Violence and crime are among the most discussed topics in Central America today, and sensationalism and fear of crime is as present as the increase of private security, the re-militarization of law enforcement, political populism, and mano dura policies. The contributors to this volume discuss historical forms, paths, continuities, and changes of violence and its public and political discussion in the region. This book thus offers in-depth analysis of different patterns of violence, their reproduction over time, their articulation in the present, and finally their discursive mobilization.

Sebastian Huhn is Researcher and Lecturer at Osnabrueck University, Germany. His research focusses on Central American history, violence and crime in Central America and the Global South, and national identity, migration, and youth violence. His publications include several books and articles in English, Spanish, and German.

Hannes Warnecke-Berger is Junior Researcher at the Special Research Council 1199 at the University of Leipzig, Germany. His research touches on the political economy of development and focuses on violence in the Global South. He has conducted extensive field research in El Salvador, Belize, and Jamaica.

Provides an in-depth analysis of one of the most important social and political topics in Latina America today: violence and crime

Unlike competing titles, this is the first book to provide an in-depth historical background on the sources and changing nature of violence

Provides a unique focus on Central America as the most violent sub-region of Latin America