In the past 20 years, and in parallel to rising homicide rates in the region, we have witnessed an explosion in writing on violence in Mexico & Central America. Yet, a large proportion of this academic, journalistic and ‘expert’ work, as well as national and regional security policies, are characterized by the distance – both physical and analytical – that they maintain from the local realities that affect the region.

Because of this distance, as well as a strong normative stance on ‘criminal violence’, one can observe a lack of understanding around the local dynamics of security, governance and (dis)order.