Abstract:
Organized crime relies on the permission of state agents to operate. Paramilitary groups, our specific focus, are not just permitted by the state, but are directly linked to state institutions. The definition of organized crime is, however, still unclear for political scientists. In this article, we understand paramilitary groups to be essentially political, involving political disputes with state institutions. Drawing from neo-institutional theory, particularly creative and historical approaches, we explain the institutionalization of paramilitary groups as occurring through two pathways: through practical authority, meaning the construction of paramilitary group legitimacy through their involvement in public security within the territories of Rio de Janeiro; and the institutional legacy of death squads as a defining factor in their materialization.
Keywords:
paramilitary groups; organized crime; neoinstitutionalism; armed politics; criminalized electoral politics