From gang member to counterinsurgent to family man: A life amid Colombia’s complex conflict

What effect do civil conflict and political violence have on the life of gang members and leaders and how does the experience of gang membership affect the practices of civil conflict? This essay examines the life history of Alejandro, a long-term gang member and criminal who rose to high levels of paramilitary leadership in Colombia over the course of 30 years engaged in varied violent enterprises. We argue that while challenging life circumstances can send some on the path to gang activity and crime, conflict can rapidly deepen and provide ideological justifications for crime that may make it more difficult to exit such practices. This points to the importance of peace processes, demobilization, and reintegration efforts in addressing elevated levels of violence during and after civil conflicts