The Narco-state Ghost

In the Netherlands, the debate on ‘NL as narco-state’ has sparkled intense discussion and scrutiny, mainly in mass and social media. But what is a narco-state? Is it a useful scientific concept to understand transformations in countries as dissimilar as Mexico, Italy or the Netherlands? Or is it better to be understood as a rhetorical political tool prompting calls for either stronger enforcement measures and resources, or for drug policy reform? Or is it just a commercially successful fuzzword and media hype, sensationalizing the issue of organised crime? This CIROC Seminar will tackle these and other related questions about the changes taking place in various countries in the complex relation between international drug trafficking and both the criminal and the state governance if it.