Downtown Juarez: Underworlds of Violence and Abuse

Over 200,000 people have died in Mexicos drug war, with the worst suffering in Ciudad Juárez. Howard Campbell's book Downtown Juárez explores the factors that have led to the violence, including misguided policies, corruption, criminality, and the borderland economy. The book is informed by the stories of those most affected, such as sex workers, addicts, hustlers, bar owners, human smugglers, migrants, and down-and-out workers, who struggle to survive in an underworld where horrifying abuses have become the natural way of things. Campbell's perspective suggests that violent acts feed off each other, losing their connection to any specific cause.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 264 pages
Publication date: 09 November 2021
Publisher: University of Texas Press

The drug war in Mexico has resulted in the tragic loss of at least 200,000 lives, with Ciudad Juárez bearing the brunt of the suffering, located across the border from El Paso, Texas. Despite extensive research over three decades, Howard Campbell, a scholar, believes that there is no single answer to explain the escalation of violence in downtown Juárez. Various factors, including misguided policies, corruption, criminality, and the borderland economy, contribute to the situation. However, none of these reasons fully account for the normalization of heartbreaking violence in the city.

Downtown Juárez offers a rigorous yet compassionate account of the lives of individuals who navigate the underworld of the city. The book is informed by sex workers, addicts, hustlers, bar owners, human smugglers, migrants, and down-and-out workers who struggle to survive in an environment where horrifying abuses have become commonplace. Despite the prosperity of Juárez's elite northeast section, driven by the profits of multinational corporations, law-abiding citizens across the city unite in their fight against crime and official malfeasance. However, the heart of downtown, characterized by its cantinas, barrios, and brothels, is plagued by misery.

Campbell's perspective is chilling, suggesting that violent acts can feed off each other, losing their connection to any specific cause. Downtown Juárez documents this banality of evil and confronts it with the stories of those most affected. The book sheds light on the lives of individuals who have been marginalized and forgotten by society, providing a humanizing perspective on the ongoing crisis. It serves as a reminder of the importance of empathy, compassion, and action in addressing the complex challenges facing communities plagued by violence.

Weight: 406g
Dimension: 152 x 226 x 28 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781477323892