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The Mexican Neoliberal State: The Decentralization Of Power And Rise Of Narcotraficantes And Paramilitary Groups, Adrian Bustamante

Student Research Symposium

The purpose of this research is to analyze the interconnections between Mexico’s failed neoliberal state policies, its corrupt military, and the present drug war that plagues the nation. Mexico’s economic transition into a new neoliberal state was supposed to stimulate the economy; however its economic policies backfired, causing an increase in poverty, an upsurge in violence, and instability in its government institutions. By analyzing several recent film documentaries, together with scholarly research, we can see the direct causation of the fall of the neoliberal state and the rise of the drug cartels. My research analyses the documentaries Cartel Land by …