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Thursday, April 24
ConocoPhillips Theatre at Glenbow Museum
7:00 pm
FREE!
Organized by the
Latin American Research Centre of the University of Calgary.
Francisco Gutiérrez Sanín, Externado University, Colombia
Eric Hershberg, Simon Fraser University, Canada
Robert Holden, Old Dominion University, USA
Stephen Randall, University of Calgary
Jorge Zaverucha, University of Pernambuco, Brazil
Latin America is more democratic today than at any time in history, but the continent remains mired in violence. Guns are widely available, and state controls over all types of armed force are increasingly weak, as street gangs, guerrillas, and paramilitary forces operate freely and perpetuate a long and multi-faceted history of violence. The armed forces may be out of power in many countries, but they continue to question civilian supremacy. Police forces regularly abuse marginalized citizens, and the distinction between political and criminal violence is increasingly blurry. The problem of violence cuts across social classes, and threatens to undermine hard fought-for democratic institutions.
This symposium brings together leading analysts of the politics of violence in Latin America. They will explain why the problem remains so difficult to address, and comment on its implications for democratic governance and economic development.
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