Abstract
In this presentation, we are going to deal with a very sensitive subject, which affects Latin America. It is quite a controversial issue, which also creates a lot of fantasy in occidental minds. Although people may frequently exaggerate, it is an unquestionable fact that Latin American has known a very strong upsurge of violence since the 1980's. We are going to discuss organized crime in Latin American, and take a particular interest in two kinds of phenomenon: the "narcos" and the "maras". We are also going to see the spread of those phenomena across borders. To do so, we must first explain exactly "narcos" and "maras" mean. As you may have guessed, "narcos" refers to the Spanish word: "narcotraficantes", which means "drug dealers". This usually refers to marijuana and cocaine that grow in Latin America and are sold all over the world, via organized bands. Here, we shall talk about the whole chain, from production to money laundering, that is controlled by the "narcos": in that way they are very close to the mafiosos. They also challenge the states, since their relations to the public powers are not so clear.
