Punishment, wars and extreme violence in Eastern Europe and Eurasia: A view from Latin America

Mónica Serrano

doi:10.35295/osls.iisl.2946

Authors

Mónica Serrano El Colegio de México

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.35295/osls.iisl.2946

Keywords:

war, violence, punishment, prisons, drugs, human rights

Abstract

In thinking about crime and punishment in Eastern Europe and Eurasia this piece considers perspectives from Latin America. It starts by considering Latin American responses to Russia’s war against Ukraine. The paper shows the inability of Latin American states to unite in opposition to Russia’s invasion. It then reflects on both the lessons that informal practices in Eastern Europe and Eurasia can hold for Latin America and on the potential relevance of Latin American experiences for countries in Eastern Europe. In seeking to identify parallels between these regions the paper pays special attention to colonial legacies. The piece then turns to prison trends in both regions and draws attention to the maxi-prison model increasingly in vogue in Latin America. There follows a brief discussion of the impact of neo-liberal economies on corruption and repression trends in both regions. The final paragraphs turn to the broader questions of human rights in the regions.

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Author Biography

Mónica Serrano, El Colegio de México

Mónica Serrano is Professor of International Relations at El Colegio de México. She is also a member of the International Faculty of the Doctorate on Organised Crime at the University of Milan, an Associate Fellow of the International Institute for Strategic Studies IISS and a member of the Council of the United Nations University (UN University). She has published extensively on international security and Latin America, with particular reference to international institutions, regional security, human rights, transnational crime and civil-military relations. She currently serves on the editorial boards of Conflict, Security and Development, Global Responsibility to Protect and Foro Internacional.

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