Two Catastrophes out of Two Hundred Thousand: The Evolution of the Political Violence in Central America (1980-2016)

Abstract

Introduction

This article examines the evolution of the mechanisms that configure political violence against women journalists and activists in the Central American Northern Triangle over the last forty years.

Objective

We will study through these two examples how the agents that carry out that kind of political violence do evolve, as well as the crime modus operandi and the motive that justify these assassinations against members of the media sphere.

Method

We will compare two cases, the first one being the disappearing of Guatemalan journalist Irma Flaquer during the Civil War in 1980 and the second one being the assassination of indigenous and environmentalist Berta Cáceres in Honduras in 2016.

Results and Conclusion

This work shows that during that period, the Northern Triangle went through a process of democratization and pacification following long civil wars. Nevertheless, this trend is more than imperfect, since it goes along with a weakening of the States that have been replaced by private companies as the main repression agent. The public opinion weighs in as well thanks to a more substantial media cover focused on social and environmental conflicts.