Y al final solo hubo más violencia. Dinámicas de la violencia en los periodos de posconflicto en Guatemala y Colombia

Abstract

The book explores the complexities of violence in post-conflict periods in Guatemala and Colombia, challenging the notion that the end of a war necessarily leads to peace. Through a rigorous theoretical and methodological approach, it analyzes how violence persists or transforms after armed conflicts, linking it to national and local factors such as population reconfiguration, armed competition, and state institutional responses. The central argument posits that post-conflict violence is neither homogeneous nor random, but rather shaped by the actions and omissions of the state during the reconstruction process. The work emphasizes that state reforms must be assessed in terms of their ability to engage with affected communities, taking into account both their expectations and the legacies of war. This interaction between national and local elements is key to understanding the differentiated dynamics of violence in specific territories. To this end, the book employs subnational case studies in Guatemala—Chimaltenango and Totonicapán—to illustrate how state responses and local conditions unevenly affect levels of violence. While Chimaltenango has experienced an increase in violence driven by criminal dynamics, Totonicapán shows a relative decline due to resilient community structures and limited state integration. In Colombia, the analysis focuses on the Bajo Cauca region of Antioquia.