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Department News

Lecture Given by Prof. Basilio Verduzco of University of Guadalajara, "The Geopolitics of Crime in Mexico" - November 19, 2012

On Monday, November 19, 2013, the Dept. hosted the lecture, "The Geopolitics of Crime in Mexico," by Dr. Basilio Verduzco of the University of Guadalarjara. Held in 100 Breslin Hall, this talk was well attended with a filled room. The presentation addressed the wave of violence witnessed in Mexico over the past six years from the perspective of critical geopolitics. Based on an extensive analysis of crime patterns, political declarations, citizen activism, press coverage and key policy debates, the author presented an overview of the situation exploring possible paths and strategies to achieve a new model of crime protection in Mexico. Dr. Verduzco's study challenges mainstream policy discourse seeking improvements in crime protection through organizational reforms of police forces and stronger punitive policies. The explanation offered in this presentation traces the origins of the current wave of violence to deeper social practices, social and regional disparities, the lack of consensus in policy formulation produced by the transition to democracy, and the separation of crime prevention from urban and regional policies.

Dr. Verduzco has been a professor at the University of Guadalajara since 1988. Through a Fullbright Award, he undertook his Ph.D. in Urban Planning at Rutgers University (completed 1997) and has been a visiting professor at MIT, University of Arizona, University of Berlin, and the East China Normal University.

The Geopolitics of Crime in Mexico