Illicit organizations and governance in Latin America

November 13, 2025 - 2:00 pm

Room 9207
The Graduate Center, CUNY

This roundtable brings together scholars for an open discussion on the intersections of crime, ideology, and governance in the Americas. Building on emerging research that challenges traditional distinctions between criminal and political behavior, participants will reflect on how belief systems, moral orders, and collective identities shape organized crime. The conversation will also explore how these ideas influence state responses, social control, and the production of legitimacy.

SCHEDULE:

14:00-14:30 Welcome  

Enrique Desmond Arias, Bildner Center Director

Philip Johnson, GC ’22 & Flinders University

14:30-16:00 Roundtable on Illicit Organizations

Enrique Desmond Arias, Bildner Center

David Smilde, Tulane University

Verónica Zubillaga, University of Illinois Chicago

Nicholas Barnes, University of St. Andrews & Columbia University

Moderator:  Philip Johnson, Flinders University

16:00-16:15 Break

16:15-17:45 Panel 1: Illicit Organizations in the Andean Region

Andreas Feldmann, University of Illinois at Chicago

Rebecca Hanson, University of Florida

Thomas Grisaffi, University of St. Galen

Discussant: Enrique Desmond Arias, Bildner Center

TO REGISTER send email to bildner@gc.cuny.edu