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Empires in the shadows : a system of corruption and international complicity
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Florence : European University Institute, 2025
EUI; STG; Master Thesis
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ALBARRAN, Alec Diego, Empires in the shadows : a system of corruption and international complicity, Florence : European University Institute, 2025, EUI, STG, Master Thesis - https://hdl.handle.net/1814/93827
Abstract
This thesis examines transnational organized crime as a product of systemic corruption and, more importantly, international complicity. While conventional analyses attribute the accelerating expansion of transnational criminal organizations to domestic governance deficits, this study argues that such perspectives overlook the structural incentives and permissive conditions generated by the prevailing global political economy under neoliberal globalization. Through a qualitative case study of Mexico, the research investigates how global demand for illicit goods and services, inadequately regulated supply chains, and opaque financial institutions intersect with domestic vulnerabilities to foster the expansion of criminal networks. Drawing on legal frameworks, journalistic investigations, and academic literature, the thesis maps the domestic and international elements that allow transnational criminal organizations to operate with resilience. Ultimately, it contends that addressing transnational organized crime requires moving beyond reactive, state-centric strategies toward an approach that accounts for the international political and economic structures that enable its persistence and implicitly encourage its expansion.
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Award date: 13 June 2025
Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Alain Lempereur (European University Institute)
Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Alain Lempereur (European University Institute)