Violent Brokers: Use and Organization of Force as a Business in Ayutla de los Libres

The article presents a analysis of violence in Ayutla de los Libres, between 2008 and 2012. The research is based on statistical data and more than 40 interviews. This period is characterized by the appearance of violent intermediaries: criminal groups with the capacity to organize the use of violence as a business. The main activities of these groups were security and protection provision, conflict resolution, and exaction. Several factors have been present in Guerrero and Ayutla that could account for increase in the homicide rate: the federal security strategy and disputes among DTO. However, the violence in Ayutla is not explained only because of the drug trafficking and competence among DTOs. Micro-analysis can offer variations and nuances to the perspectives about violence. This text invites to elaborate more contextualized, ethnographic studies that confirm or reject the government and media narratives about violence in Mexico