Fragmented sovereignty in the Amazon frontiers in the face of the growing presence of the narcotraffic: an advertised tragedy?

Abstract

The article aims to discuss the theoretical and conceptual contribution of ungoverned areas or so-called black spots with a case study of the organized crime in the Amazon border region. Historically, the region observed low development and settlement, which has even greater challenge for the Brazilian government, not only in the face of transnational crime that has crossed the border, but also facing the challenge of reinforcing it from a deeper perspective of development, defense initiatives and surveillance of the area. On the one hand, the UNODC documents analysis show that the Amazon region has been increasingly used for drug trafficking, arms and people; on the other hand, the analysis of government programs and police and military operations, such as Agata Operation, shows that these should be accompanied by deeper actions aimed at development. The article concludes with the finding of the numerous challenges offered by the region, particularly in what regards transnational crime, and supports the validity of the theoretical and conceptual framework of ungoverned or black spots areas to be effective for the understanding and comprehension of this phenomenon.