The recently signed peace-agreement with the FARC poses many opportunities to the Colombian state, as well as new challenges. Even though the biggest guerrilla organisation in the country has now...Show moreThe recently signed peace-agreement with the FARC poses many opportunities to the Colombian state, as well as new challenges. Even though the biggest guerrilla organisation in the country has now been demobilised, organised crime seems to be taking over power in former FARC-territory for interests connected to the illegal drug trade. This paper analyses the ways in which organised crime undermines the possibility of the Colombian government to re-establish rule of law in these regions. It concludes that the magnitude and structure of crime is in Colombia problematic, that the recent visibility of crime undermines the state’s legitimacy, and that the penetration of organised crime into the political sphere, which is vulnerable to corruption, decreases the effectiveness of policies against organised crime.Show less
