Behavioral differences in violence: The case of intra-group differences of Paramilitaries and Guerrillas in Colombia

Darwin Cortes, Raul Caruso, Thomas Bassetti

Research output: Working paper

Abstract

In most studies on civil wars, determinants of conflict have been hitherto explored assuming that actors involved were either unitary or stable. However, if this intra-group homogeneity assumption does not hold, empirical econometric estimates may be biased. We use Fixed Effects Finite Mixture Model (FE-FMM) approach to address this issue that provides a representation of heterogeneity when data originate from different latent classes and the affiliation is unknown. It allows to identify sub-populations within a population as well as the determinants of their behaviors. By combining various data sources for the period 2000-2005, we apply this methodology to the Colombian conflict. Our results highlight a behavioral heterogeneity in guerrilla’s armed groups and their distinct economic correlates. By contrast paramilitaries behave as a rather homogenous group.
Translated title of the contributionDiferencias de comportamiento en la violencia: El caso de las diferencias intragrupo de Paramilitares y Guerrilleros en Colombia
Original languageEnglish (US)
Number of pages32
StatePublished - 2015

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