Militarization and Subjectivation: The Paramilitary Logic of the Mexican Knights Templar

In Mexico, the period of the war on drugs from 2006 to 2020 witnessed a significant escalation in criminal violence, marked by alarming increases in homicide rates, forced disappearances, kidnappings, and femicides. This violent landscape was further intensified by confrontations between criminal organizations and the Mexican army, resulting in unprecedented levels of violence in the country’s history. The consequences of this conflict included massacres, the consolidation and empowerment of criminal organizations, and a transformation in the nature of violence, characterized by its growing frequency and brutality. Among the most impactful dimensions of the war on drugs was the capture of local populations by criminal organizations, leading to the establishment of illicit social orders. In the state of Michoacán, a Mexican criminal group known as Los Caballeros Templarios, or The Knights Templar, systematically seized control of numerous communities, imposing a totalitarian social regime defined by militarized governance and a mystique of community organization. Utilizing their military structure, lethal force, and financial power, the Knights Templar extended their reach into every aspect of daily life, including political, legal, economic, recreational, and even personal spheres. This infiltration gave rise to a social order rooted in exploitation and the domination of social life, subjectivity, and bodies. This chapter aims to illuminate the mechanisms and dynamics through which daily life unfolded under the grip of a totalitarian criminal regime. By analyzing the complex web of control exerted by criminal organizations, we aim to offer insights into the multifaceted ways in which individuals and communities were affected, suppressed, and subjugated within this context of criminal domination.