Mexico has a complex history related to state institutions, organized crime and their relationship to both drug trafficking and other illegal activities. Over the past 15 years, the security policy has militarized public security interventions, providing an increasing power to the armed forces and making a state of exception, the norm. High levels of violence have caused devastating consequences, fracturing communities and reducing confidence in the state and other actors. And it shows no sign of ending. This critical policy session will review the security policies undertaken, provide analysis of the current state of affairs, identify efforts by stakeholders to address this issue, and propose necessary and urgent innovations for peace-building at a local, regional and national level.

A talk by Dawn Marie Paley, Luis Daniel Santiago Vidargas, Zara Snapp and Oswaldo Zavala

Instituto RIA, Instituto RIA and City University of New York (CUNY)