Contribution to the analysis of the concept of «gray areas» in Latin America : the case of Mexico and Colombia ; Contribution à l'analyse du concept des "zones grises" en Amérique latine : le cas du Mexique et de la Colombie

Abstract

In the case of Latin America, where the external borders of the countries are more or less well defined, the phenomenon of «gray zones» is particularly present within States. This is also the case of Colombia and Mexico.This PhD thesis introduces a reconceptualization of the phenomenon through the comparative analysis of two intrinsically different cases according to their motivations and their functioning, like the FARC guerrilla in Colombia and the criminal organizational (cartels) in Mexico. Nevertheless, through the analysis of the operations of these illegal armed groups we can see that the reasons for the appearance of the «gray zones» remain similar in the two States highlighting the failure of the modern Latin American State, the fragility of the rule of law in these countries -due to the fragmentation of the institutions during the Spanish colonization- as well as the failure of political systems of expressing the general will.Our approach is also based on the analysis of territorial control and how the FARC managed to dominate large areas in the country from 1964 till 2016 when the peace agreements were put in place, as well as on the emergence of another type of the phenomenon in Mexico since 2006. Through the comparison between the FARC and Mexican criminal organizations we introduce a new typology of «gray zones» that focuses on how this groupscontrol the territory. Thus, we call the «gray zones of non-physical presence type» the areas controlled by Mexican criminal organizations and the «gray zones of physical presence» the areas under the FARC occupation. ; Le concept des « zones grises » a été fondé sur l'idée des espaces non-couverts par les radars afin de permettre une explication à l'ambiguïté. En termes de science politique, ce concept est apparu en vue d'analyser des phénomènes où la souveraineté et l'autorité étatiques ne sont pas claires. Dans le cas de l'Amérique latine, où les frontières extérieures des pays sont plus au moins bien définies, le phénomène des « zones grises » est ...