Todos Somos Juárez. Competition in state-making and the war on drugs (2006-12)

Abstract

In the 2016 World Economic Forum, Ciudad Juarez stood out as one of the Latin American cities that achieved a remarkable reduction of drug trafficking-related crimes and violence, leaving thus behind the stigma of being the most dangerous city in the world. Taking this into consideration, the question could be raised: how did such change emerge? During the war on drugs (2006-2012), former President Felipe Calderon deployed the army in critical areas besieged by drug cartels. However, and following a massacre in Juarez –a border city shaken by drug trafficking-violence–, the Federal Government took a new turn in its militarized approach. As a result, the military operations were accompanied by an unprecedented socio-economic aid program: Todos Somos Juarez aimed at building resilient communities to the penetration of organized crime. Based on the concept of «competition in state-making», this paper first analyzes the design and implementation of the above-mentioned initiative; then, it performs an assessment of the results obtained after his execution; and finally, it identifies some key lessons that can be drawn from the Mexican experience. The amin conclusion of the article is that Todos Somos Juarez was based on three strategic pillars: holistic approach, active citizen participation and coordination between the three levels of Government (federal, state and municipal).