De facto sovereignties and forced internal displacement: a window to understanding multifaceted violence in Guerrero, Mexico

ABSTRACT What causes forced internal displacement in Guerrero, Mexico? Our study (2011–2018) draws on Guerrero’s convulsed recent history, Hansen and Stepputat’s notion of de facto sovereignty as an emerging and tentative form of power embedded in violence and Gerlach’s evaluation of (non)state actors in Extremely Violent Societies as perpetrators of violence and displacement. We suggest that the presence of multiple and fragmented de facto sovereignties produces high levels of violence. Fieldwork carried out in Guerrero includes participant observation of displaced groups and in-depth interviews with Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). Findings illustrate the complexity of local contexts that give rise to forced displacement. While rural poor are forced to displace collectively, displacement of individuals and families tends to be more middle class, drawing on economic and social capital to resettle in other parts of Mexico.