Barcelona and Madrid: Two different realities in the phenomenon of the Latino gangs

• Main Author: Miguel López Corral
• Format: Article
• Language: Spanish
• Published: Barcelona Centre for International Affairs (CIDOB) 2008-04-01
• Series: Revista CIDOB d'Afers Internacionals
• Subjects: Spain; immigration; Latin America; youth; violence; conflict; security
• Online Access: http://www.cidob.org/es/content/download/6949/69421/file/lopez_81.pdf

The Latino gangs that have come into existence in Spain represent a potential risk factor for citizens’ security and coexistence. That is the view of security forces and organisations, and it also seems to be the understanding reached by the administrations of the Autonomous Communities of Catalonia and Madrid, whose actions in the light of this phenomenon are assessed in this work. To this end, the author begins with an analysis of the significance of Latino gangs inSpain, from their origins to their introduction, and carries out a review of their current situation, including their organisation, recruitment, impact and risk for citizen security. Only with suchan analysis can one begin to comprehend the scenario of dangers that will appear in the future, and the police strategy that should be introduced to deal with the phenomenon.