The myth of the narco-state

Abstract

Despite being used repeatedly in different contexts, the term “narco-state” has never been satisfactorily defined or explained. In fact, the existence of the narco-state is almost always taken for granted. This article will argue, on the basis of a review of existing definitions and of selected case studies, that there is no such thing as a narco-state and that using the term tends to oversimplify if not mask the complex socio-political and economic realities of drug-producing countries. The narco-state notion will be debated and opposed in terms of politics, territory, and economics.

Keywords:

• narco-state
• definition
• rentier state
• territory
• politics
• economics

Acknowledgements

The author wishes to acknowledge the comments of Kenza Afsahi, Guillermo Aureano, Stewart Williams and two anonymous reviewers on earlier drafts of this text.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes on contributor

Pierre-Arnaud Chouvy is a geographer and Research Fellow with the Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS) in Paris. Most of his publications are available on his website www.geopium.org.

Notes

1. A note (no. 2) by John Stuart Mill in a book by Mill (1869, p. 5).