The collective and the individual: the fight against organised crime, political crime and the prospects for peacebuilding

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47741/17943108.848

Keywords:

Organised crime, war and peace, political crime, human security, constitutional peace

Abstract

The article examines the tensions between individualist and collectivist conceptions of war, organised crime and peace, and their impact on the prospects for building a lasting peace in Colombia. The central argument maintains that the individual and the collective not only shape the way in which the conflict with criminal organisations is defined and governed, but they also determine the future of peace in communities, particularly those marked by structural exclusion. From this perspective, the study highlights the need to rethink the traditional categories used to address war, organised crime and political crime. Methodologically, the article adopts a theoreticallegal and socio-political approach, based on a critical analysis of the specialist literature and a reflection on the Colombian case. The results show that approaches centred on individual security and predominantly punitive or militarised responses are insufficient to capture the complexity of contemporary organised crime, in which individual motivations, collective dynamics, and political and social functions in marginalised communities are intertwined. In this context, the article argues that peace cannot be reduced to the control of violence or the cessation of hostilities, but must be conceived as a constitutional peace aimed at guaranteeing human security, social inclusion and the effective fulfilment of fundamental rights.

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Author Biographies

  • Libardo José Ariza, Universidad de Los Andes, University of Los Andes, University of the Andes

    He holds a PhD in Law from the University of Deusto and a Master’s degree in Legal Sociology from the International Institute of Legal Sociology in Oñati. He is currently an associate professor and director of the PhD programme in Law at the University of the Andes. He is director of the Research Group on Prisons, Criminal Policy and Public Safety at the same university. His areas of academic interest centre on criminology, cultural pluralism, constitutional law and research methodology.

  • Fernando León Tamayo Arboleda, Universidad de Los Andes, University of Los Andes, University of the Andes

    A graduate in Law from the University of Antioquia, he holds a specialisation and a Master’s degree in Criminal Law from Eafit University. He holds a Doctorate in Law from the University of the Andes. He has taught at various universities across the country. He is currently a lecturer at the University of the Andes. His research focuses on criminology, the sociology of law, the sociology of punishment and criminal law.

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Published

2026-03-15 — Updated on 2026-08-15

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Issue

Section

Criminological studies

How to Cite

José Ariza, L., & Tamayo Arboleda, F. L. (2026). The collective and the individual: the fight against organised crime, political crime and the prospects for peacebuilding. Revista Criminalidad, 68(1), 15-32. https://doi.org/10.47741/17943108.848 (Original work published 2026)

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