Demombynes, Gabriel2017-06-272017-06-272011-04https://hdl.handle.net/10986/27333This paper examines the relationship between narcotics trafficking and violence in Central America. The first part of the paper addresses particular questions posed for the 2011 World Development Report and examines several competing hypothesis on the drivers of crime in Central America. A key finding is that areas exposed to intense narcotics trafficking in Central America suffer from higher homicide rates. Drug trafficking has corrupted state institutions, which have been overwhelmed by the resources deployed by trafficking organizations. The second part of the paper reviews the reasons drug trafficking and anti trafficking enforcement are associated with violence in general and consider policy options.en-USCC BY 3.0 IGOABUSESACCOUNTINGALCOHOLAMBASSADORARMED CONFLICTARMED CONFLICTSARMED FORCESBATTLESBRIBEBRIBERYBRIBESBURGLARYCIVIL SOCIETYCIVIL WARCIVIL WARSCOCAINECOERCIONCOMPLAINTCONFIDENCECONFLICTCONFLICT RESOLUTIONCORRUPTCORRUPT OFFICIALSCORRUPTIONCOURTSCRIMECRIME PREVENTIONCRIME PREVENTION MEASURESCRIME RATESCRIMESCRIMINALCRIMINAL ACTIVITIESCRIMINAL ACTIVITYCRIMINAL COURTCRIMINAL JUSTICECRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEMCRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEMSCRIMINAL SANCTIONSCRIMINALITYCRIMINALSDEATHSDEMOBILIZATIONDEMOCRACYDRUGDRUG SEIZURESDRUG TRADEDRUG TRAFFICKERSDRUG TRAFFICKINGDRUG USEDRUGSDUE PROCESSEXTRADITIONEXTRADITION TREATYFIGHTINGFIREARMFIREARMSGANGGANG MEMBERSGANGSGUERRILLAGUERRILLA GROUPSGUNGUNSHEROINHOMICIDEHOMICIDE RATEHOMICIDE RATESHOMICIDESHUMAN RIGHTSILLICIT DRUGILLICIT DRUGSINITIATIVEINTERNATIONAL AFFAIRSINTERNATIONAL LAWINTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONSINTERNATIONAL STANDARDSINVESTIGATIONJUDICIAL CORRUPTIONJUDICIARYKIDNAPPINGLAW ENFORCEMENTLAW-ENFORCEMENTLAWSLEADERSHIPLEVELS OF CRIMELIABILITYMARIJUANAMARIJUANA USEMONEY LAUNDERINGMORTALITYMURDERMURDER RATEMURDER RATESMURDERSNARCOTICSNARCOTICS CONTROLNARCOTICS TRAFFICKINGNATIONSOFFENSEORGANIZED CRIMEPAYOFFSPEACEPENAL SANCTIONSPENALTIESPERPETRATORSPOLICEPOLICE OFFICERSPOLITICIANPOLITICIANSPRETRIAL DETENTIONPRISONPRISONSPROBATIONPROSECUTIONPROSECUTORSPUBLIC HEALTHPUBLIC OFFICIALSPUBLIC OPINIONREPRESSIONRISK FACTORSROADSROBBERYSAFE HAVENSSECURITY FORCESSTATE INSTITUTIONSTOBACCOTORTURETREATIESTRIALSVICTIMSVIOLENCEVIOLENT CONFLICTVIOLENT CRIMEWARFAREWEAPONSWORLD DEVELOPMENTYOUNG MALESYOUNG MENYOUTHYOUTH GANGSWorking PaperWorld Bank10.1596/27333