The Evolution of Violence in Latin America
September 8–9, 2025
Batts Hall (BAT) 5.108 | The University of Texas at Austin
Free and open to the public; no registration required
For much of the 19th and 20th centuries, Latin America was plagued by political violence, including elite insurrections, military coups, popular uprisings, guerrilla rebellions, and state repression. Over time, however, political violence in the region declined dramatically even though criminal violence skyrocketed. This decline has enormous implications, given that political violence undermined democracy, hindered economic growth, and led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people in the region.
This conference examines the causes and consequences of the decline in political violence in Latin America using a rich new data set, the Latin American Revolts Database (LARD), which catalogues all forms of political violence in the region from independence to the present. Conference participants will rigorously document the decline in political violence, explore how it has varied across time and countries, and explain why different forms of violence have been more common in certain sub-regions and time periods.
Presented in collaboration with the UT Department of Government.