This article discusses the role played by citizens who acquire firearms for defensive purposes in the governance of security in Latin America. Do states possess the capacity to enforce formal-legal regulations or do citizens participate in the governance of security autonomously? Does the behavior of armed citizens correspond with the strategies and goals defined in security policies? The analysis concludes that firearms facilitate a behavior which delegitimizes authorities and harms state security policies. This role is more frequent in Latin America due to the legitimacy deficits of authorities and the lack of information regarding firearms and users, which hinder state capacities to control armed citizens from a distance. Their conceptualization in scenarios of regulated governance is therefore problematic, since their behavior evades state control frequently and with ease. These citizens are therefore better conceptualized under a nodal governance model.
A nodal perspective of governance: Advances in nodal governance thinking
