galia Benitez - Independent Researcher (original) (raw)
Papers by galia Benitez
Revista Criminalidad, Dec 1, 2017
This document derives from the analysis carried out on the accounts and narratives of illegal dru... more This document derives from the analysis carried out on the accounts and narratives of illegal drug carriers popularly known as "pasantes", more generally as mules, and in a special way, it stresses the view focused on the phenomenon of illicit drug trafficking in Colombia. The article's objectives are: firstly to characterize the multiplicity of concepts used to describe this phenomenon and offer a definition capable of encompassing different meanings, and secondly to show conceptual categories stemming from the illicit drug accounts. The methodology used content analysis to describe, systematize and analyze the voluntary testimonies of 42 individuals accused and convicted in Colombia as illegal drug carriers. In this research it is argued that one of the various elements helping understand the mule phenomenon and their experience is their vulnerability conditions. On the one hand, they have a peripheral place in drug trafficker's organizations. On the other hand, their vulnerability to the social-technical system established by the State to prevent illicit-drug transportation is very high.. This study shows that the mule's narratives can be categorized into four dichotomies serving as rhetoric elements for the breaking of the legality/illegality binary. Palabras clave Criminalización, factores de la criminalidad, factores sociales de la criminalidad, factores económicos de la criminalidad, factores condicionantes (fuente: Tesauro de política criminal latinoamericana-ILANUD).
Mapping Colombia's Counternarcotics Networks: The Rise of Latin American and Caribbean Partnerships
The Latin Americanist
Abstract:This paper aims to explain the emergence of an antinarcotics network operating between C... more Abstract:This paper aims to explain the emergence of an antinarcotics network operating between Colombia and several other Latin American and Caribbean countries. This paper first maps out Colombia's antinarcotics deep collaboration, using formal Social Network Analysis (SNA) and centrality measurements to identify the structural locations and evolution of Colombia's transnational joint antinarcotics operations from 2010 to 2015. Second, it explores the reasons why Colombia has engaged in an increasing number of multilateral operations at a regional level with its neighboring countries in the last years. The results illustrate that since 2015, there have been policies that embrace a growing number of multilateral operations at the regional level, despite the fact that Colombia's coordinated antinarcotics responses have so far been mostly bilateral (e.g., coordinated with the US and UK). This diversification has been promoted by multilateral regional antinarcotics agreements like AMERIPOL, whose structures are more conducive to a cooperative approach, and reflects an emergent sense among Latin American countries that drug trafficking is their shared problem and responsibility.
espanolResumen Este documento se deriva del analisis realizado a las narrativas de los pasantes d... more espanolResumen Este documento se deriva del analisis realizado a las narrativas de los pasantes de drogas ilicitas denominados popularmente como “mulas”; de manera especial, resalta su mirada localizada sobre el fenomeno del trafico ilegal de drogas en Colombia. El escrito tiene como objetivo: primero, caracterizar la multiplicidad de conceptos que se utilizan para describir este fenomeno y proponer una definicion que abarque diferentes acepciones, y segundo, presentar categorias conceptuales que se desprenden de las narrativas de los pasantes de drogas. Como metodologia se utilizo el analisis de contenido, para describir, sistematizar y analizar los testimonios voluntarios de 42 personas imputadas y condenadas como pasantes de drogas ilicitas en Colombia. Esta investigacion argumenta que uno de los elementos para entender el fenomeno de los pasantes de drogas ilicitas y su experiencia es su condicion de vulnerabilidad. Por un lado, los pasantes ocupan un lugar periferico en las org...
Global Crime, 2019
International cocaine trafficking has been well-studied, but little is known about cocaine flows ... more International cocaine trafficking has been well-studied, but little is known about cocaine flows within Colombia, the largest producer and exporter of cocaine in the world. Using a unique dataset on the monthly wholesale prices of cocaine across 32 municipios in 2016, this paper estimates patterns of flows of cocaine within Colombia. For the 496 possible resulting pairs of municipios, price differentials are used to infer direction of flow, and price correlations are used to infer connectedness. Among the new findings, 38 suspected municipio-to-municipio flows that are new to the literature are identified. Interestingly, cocaine is inferred to flow through two distinct networks: one that originates in Buenaventura and the other in three points in southern and eastern Colombia. These networks may correspond to distinct criminal trafficking systems, a finding that has potential implications for drug control policies and measures.
Social Sciences, 2018
In the creation of trade policy, business actors have the most influence in setting policy. This ... more In the creation of trade policy, business actors have the most influence in setting policy. This article identifies and explains variations in how economic interest groups use policy networks to affect trade policymaking. This article uses formal social network analysis (SNA) to explore the patterns of articulation or a policy network between the government and business at the national level within regional trade agreements. The empirical discussion herein focuses on Brazil and the setting of exceptions list to Mercosur’s common external tariff. It specifically concentrates on the relations between the Brazilian executive branch and ten economic subsectors. The article finds that the patterns of articulation of these policy networks matter and that sectors with stronger ties to key government decision-makers have a structural advantage in influencing trade policy and obtaining and/or maintaining their desired, privileged trade policies, compared with sectors that are connected to go...
Social Sciences, 2018
In the creation of trade policy, business actors have the most influence in setting policy. This ... more In the creation of trade policy, business actors have the most influence in setting policy. This article identifies and explains variations in how economic interest groups use policy networks to affect trade policymaking. This article uses formal social network analysis (SNA) to explore the patterns of articulation or a policy network between the government and business at the national level within regional trade agreements. The empirical discussion herein focuses on Brazil and the setting of exceptions list to Mercosur’s common external tariff. It specifically concentrates on the relations between the Brazilian executive branch and ten economic subsectors. The article finds that the patterns of articulation of these policy networks matter and that sectors with stronger ties to key government decision-makers have a structural advantage in influencing trade policy and obtaining and/or maintaining their desired, privileged trade policies, compared with sectors that are connected to go...
Social Sciences, 2018
In the creation of trade policy, business actors have the most influence in setting policy. This ... more In the creation of trade policy, business actors have the most influence in setting policy. This article identifies and explains variations in how economic interest groups use policy networks to affect trade policymaking. This article uses formal social network analysis (SNA) to explore the patterns of articulation or a policy network between the government and business at the national level within regional trade agreements. The empirical discussion herein focuses on Brazil and the setting of exceptions list to Mercosur’s common external tariff. It specifically concentrates on the relations between the Brazilian executive branch and ten economic subsectors. The article finds that the patterns of articulation of these policy networks matter and that sectors with stronger ties to key government decision-makers have a structural advantage in influencing trade policy and obtaining and/or maintaining their desired, privileged trade policies, compared with sectors that are connected to go...
A la Vanguardia de un Nuevo Desafio: NSP Nuevas Sustancias Psicoactivas
Research in Global Strategic Management
This study presents evidence of the increasing regionalization of the international trade of ten ... more This study presents evidence of the increasing regionalization of the international trade of ten South American countries from 1980 to 2001. We found that the regionalization of trade in South America is best described as an increasing trade among Spanish-speaking countries and increasing trade within the two regional agreements: Andean Community and Mercosur. We also find evidence of border erosion in the continent, especially among the Mercosur members. These results are evident in a simple statistical analysis and are also economically significant when tested in a consistent gravity equation that controls for a set of macroeconomic and geographic variables.
A South American perspective: Regional vs. Global Trade Patterns
Regional Economic Integration, 2006
Revista Criminalidad, Dec 1, 2017
This document derives from the analysis carried out on the accounts and narratives of illegal dru... more This document derives from the analysis carried out on the accounts and narratives of illegal drug carriers popularly known as "pasantes", more generally as mules, and in a special way, it stresses the view focused on the phenomenon of illicit drug trafficking in Colombia. The article's objectives are: firstly to characterize the multiplicity of concepts used to describe this phenomenon and offer a definition capable of encompassing different meanings, and secondly to show conceptual categories stemming from the illicit drug accounts. The methodology used content analysis to describe, systematize and analyze the voluntary testimonies of 42 individuals accused and convicted in Colombia as illegal drug carriers. In this research it is argued that one of the various elements helping understand the mule phenomenon and their experience is their vulnerability conditions. On the one hand, they have a peripheral place in drug trafficker's organizations. On the other hand, their vulnerability to the social-technical system established by the State to prevent illicit-drug transportation is very high.. This study shows that the mule's narratives can be categorized into four dichotomies serving as rhetoric elements for the breaking of the legality/illegality binary. Palabras clave Criminalización, factores de la criminalidad, factores sociales de la criminalidad, factores económicos de la criminalidad, factores condicionantes (fuente: Tesauro de política criminal latinoamericana-ILANUD).
Mapping Colombia's Counternarcotics Networks: The Rise of Latin American and Caribbean Partnerships
The Latin Americanist
Abstract:This paper aims to explain the emergence of an antinarcotics network operating between C... more Abstract:This paper aims to explain the emergence of an antinarcotics network operating between Colombia and several other Latin American and Caribbean countries. This paper first maps out Colombia's antinarcotics deep collaboration, using formal Social Network Analysis (SNA) and centrality measurements to identify the structural locations and evolution of Colombia's transnational joint antinarcotics operations from 2010 to 2015. Second, it explores the reasons why Colombia has engaged in an increasing number of multilateral operations at a regional level with its neighboring countries in the last years. The results illustrate that since 2015, there have been policies that embrace a growing number of multilateral operations at the regional level, despite the fact that Colombia's coordinated antinarcotics responses have so far been mostly bilateral (e.g., coordinated with the US and UK). This diversification has been promoted by multilateral regional antinarcotics agreements like AMERIPOL, whose structures are more conducive to a cooperative approach, and reflects an emergent sense among Latin American countries that drug trafficking is their shared problem and responsibility.
espanolResumen Este documento se deriva del analisis realizado a las narrativas de los pasantes d... more espanolResumen Este documento se deriva del analisis realizado a las narrativas de los pasantes de drogas ilicitas denominados popularmente como “mulas”; de manera especial, resalta su mirada localizada sobre el fenomeno del trafico ilegal de drogas en Colombia. El escrito tiene como objetivo: primero, caracterizar la multiplicidad de conceptos que se utilizan para describir este fenomeno y proponer una definicion que abarque diferentes acepciones, y segundo, presentar categorias conceptuales que se desprenden de las narrativas de los pasantes de drogas. Como metodologia se utilizo el analisis de contenido, para describir, sistematizar y analizar los testimonios voluntarios de 42 personas imputadas y condenadas como pasantes de drogas ilicitas en Colombia. Esta investigacion argumenta que uno de los elementos para entender el fenomeno de los pasantes de drogas ilicitas y su experiencia es su condicion de vulnerabilidad. Por un lado, los pasantes ocupan un lugar periferico en las org...
Global Crime, 2019
International cocaine trafficking has been well-studied, but little is known about cocaine flows ... more International cocaine trafficking has been well-studied, but little is known about cocaine flows within Colombia, the largest producer and exporter of cocaine in the world. Using a unique dataset on the monthly wholesale prices of cocaine across 32 municipios in 2016, this paper estimates patterns of flows of cocaine within Colombia. For the 496 possible resulting pairs of municipios, price differentials are used to infer direction of flow, and price correlations are used to infer connectedness. Among the new findings, 38 suspected municipio-to-municipio flows that are new to the literature are identified. Interestingly, cocaine is inferred to flow through two distinct networks: one that originates in Buenaventura and the other in three points in southern and eastern Colombia. These networks may correspond to distinct criminal trafficking systems, a finding that has potential implications for drug control policies and measures.
Social Sciences, 2018
In the creation of trade policy, business actors have the most influence in setting policy. This ... more In the creation of trade policy, business actors have the most influence in setting policy. This article identifies and explains variations in how economic interest groups use policy networks to affect trade policymaking. This article uses formal social network analysis (SNA) to explore the patterns of articulation or a policy network between the government and business at the national level within regional trade agreements. The empirical discussion herein focuses on Brazil and the setting of exceptions list to Mercosur’s common external tariff. It specifically concentrates on the relations between the Brazilian executive branch and ten economic subsectors. The article finds that the patterns of articulation of these policy networks matter and that sectors with stronger ties to key government decision-makers have a structural advantage in influencing trade policy and obtaining and/or maintaining their desired, privileged trade policies, compared with sectors that are connected to go...
Social Sciences, 2018
In the creation of trade policy, business actors have the most influence in setting policy. This ... more In the creation of trade policy, business actors have the most influence in setting policy. This article identifies and explains variations in how economic interest groups use policy networks to affect trade policymaking. This article uses formal social network analysis (SNA) to explore the patterns of articulation or a policy network between the government and business at the national level within regional trade agreements. The empirical discussion herein focuses on Brazil and the setting of exceptions list to Mercosur’s common external tariff. It specifically concentrates on the relations between the Brazilian executive branch and ten economic subsectors. The article finds that the patterns of articulation of these policy networks matter and that sectors with stronger ties to key government decision-makers have a structural advantage in influencing trade policy and obtaining and/or maintaining their desired, privileged trade policies, compared with sectors that are connected to go...
Social Sciences, 2018
In the creation of trade policy, business actors have the most influence in setting policy. This ... more In the creation of trade policy, business actors have the most influence in setting policy. This article identifies and explains variations in how economic interest groups use policy networks to affect trade policymaking. This article uses formal social network analysis (SNA) to explore the patterns of articulation or a policy network between the government and business at the national level within regional trade agreements. The empirical discussion herein focuses on Brazil and the setting of exceptions list to Mercosur’s common external tariff. It specifically concentrates on the relations between the Brazilian executive branch and ten economic subsectors. The article finds that the patterns of articulation of these policy networks matter and that sectors with stronger ties to key government decision-makers have a structural advantage in influencing trade policy and obtaining and/or maintaining their desired, privileged trade policies, compared with sectors that are connected to go...
A la Vanguardia de un Nuevo Desafio: NSP Nuevas Sustancias Psicoactivas
Research in Global Strategic Management
This study presents evidence of the increasing regionalization of the international trade of ten ... more This study presents evidence of the increasing regionalization of the international trade of ten South American countries from 1980 to 2001. We found that the regionalization of trade in South America is best described as an increasing trade among Spanish-speaking countries and increasing trade within the two regional agreements: Andean Community and Mercosur. We also find evidence of border erosion in the continent, especially among the Mercosur members. These results are evident in a simple statistical analysis and are also economically significant when tested in a consistent gravity equation that controls for a set of macroeconomic and geographic variables.
A South American perspective: Regional vs. Global Trade Patterns
Regional Economic Integration, 2006