Vigilantism as Civilian Protective Agency. The case of autodefensas in Mexico

This chapter examines vigilantism as a potential form of civilian protective agency in the context of Mexico’s criminal war. Is vigilantism a response to the threat posed by drug cartels? Do vigilante groups operate where violence is the most intense? Is vigilantism a response to all types of criminal violence? To answer these questions, the chapter maps the spatial distribution of vigilantism in Mexico from 2013 to 2017 and examines its association with different patterns of criminal violence. Our results support the claim-made by vigilante groups themselves-that vigilantism is a protection-seeking response to criminal violence. Yet, they provide important nuance that deepens our understanding of the relationship between vigilantism and the dynamics of criminal violence. First, vigilante groups are especially likely to operate when and where more than one major drug cartel is present. Second, while vigilante groups seem to respond to criminal violence, they do so only when and where levels of violence are neither too high nor too low. Finally, while there is consistent and strong evidence that homicides are associated with the incidence of vigilantism, other forms of violence, such as kidnappings and extortion, are not (or are only weakly) associated with it. This suggests that not all types of violence matter equally. This chapter provides a more detailed and comprehensive overview of how the incidence of vigilante groups is linked to different expressions of the country’s criminal war.