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Punitive Attitudes in Latin America

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Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to describe, initially, the population’s perception regarding some aspects related to the phenomenon of crime, the criminal system and the punitive response the State should supply (the population’s disapproving attitudes), bearing in mind the role of the mass media, since the latter perhaps represents the most important link providing feedback between social demand and the activity of the State with regard to subjective perceptions of criminality and the construction of a State with greater punitive reaction. A second part will analyze the scope of the expansive tendencies in criminal matters in Latin America and particularly in Argentina. With this aim, after outlining the phenomenon — from several theoretical perspectives — and summarising its characteristics in Latin America, we shall specify its distinctive features in our midst, as a way of sounding the main problems entailed in this legislative inflation — decidedly influenced by the multiplying effect of the mass media. This diagnosis is necessary in order to intuit possible strategies for criminal policy.

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Notes

  1. Research carried out on this matter explains this phenomenon by agreeing that the feeling of insecurity is not necessarily linked to high levels of crime, but that it may well be a phenomenon linked to other fears present in societies originating from uncertainty of a labour, interpersonal, economic, etc. nature. (cfr. Kury 1999).

  2. In Argentina, for example, a series of extortive kidnappings caused a variety of proposals of firm-handed criminal policies and criminal reforms which were functional to these policies.

  3. All the information quoted as obtained from the DNPC, a branch of the National Ministry of Justice, Security and Human Rights, was gleaned from its website, but is currently unavailable as a result of a ministerial regulation.

  4. Another 5.7% needs to be added for those who indicated that the judiciary would have done nothing.

  5. In Argentina, more than 55% of trials last between 6 months and 2 years and 20% last longer than 3 years.

  6. Due to lack of space we shall not refer to the methodological problems of measuring fear of crime or its value. For a thorough analysis, see the valuable work of Kury (1999: 211 ff.) or Vozmediano et al. (2008).

  7. Methodological observations regarding these measurements can be consulted in Kury (2000: 216 ff.).

  8. The “Blumberg Petition” will be dealt with again later.

  9. Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Chile, Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru and Uruguay (Source: ILANUD).

  10. An orientation which coincides, as a natural reflection, with the preference (regarding this type of sanction and over other possible responses) which is projected in the surveys we have already analyzed above.

  11. Fortunately, the constitutional reform of 1994 expressly excluded popular initiative in criminal matters (article 39). A rule that Jorge De la Rua (2008:95) has marked as extremely prudent. On this matter, this author says: “Imagine, in such an impassioned and at times erratic country, that to admit an initiative on particular penalties or particular sanctions would be extremely risky”.

  12. Certainly what happened with the Blumberg phenomenon does no more than confirm the trend we have already marked in the first part of this paper with the aim of increasing the space in the mass media devoted to the issue of the increase in insecurity and crime: in 1991 a daily average of 4.96 news items on crime, an average which increased until it reached a high of 18.2 items per day in 1997.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Center, School of Law, National University of Córdoba, Pje. Felix Aguilar 1191, Barrio Paso de los Andes, 5000, Córdoba, Argentina

    Cesar Fortete

  2. National Academy of Law and Social Sciences of Córdoba, Maestro Vidal 455 (ex 615), Barrio Alto Alberdi, 5000, Córdoba, Argentina

    Jose Daniel Cesano

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  1. Cesar Fortete
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  2. Jose Daniel Cesano
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Correspondence to Cesar Fortete or Jose Daniel Cesano.

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Fortete, C., Cesano, J.D. Punitive Attitudes in Latin America. Eur J Crim Policy Res 15, 121–136 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10610-008-9093-4

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