Between Mafia and Counterinsurgency: The Paramilitary Model of the <i>Autodefensas Gaitanistas de Colombia</i> (AGC)

Abstract This article analyzes the organizational structure employed by the Autodefensas Gaitanistas de Colombia (Gaitanistas Self-Defense Forces of Colombia, AGC in its Spanish acronym) to exert control over the Urabá region. Drawing on organizational sociology, the study conceptualizes paramilitarism as a model strategically adopted by specific self-defense groups to assert dominance over Colombian territories. By comparing academic literature with judicial rulings from Colombia's Ley de Justicia y Paz (Justice and Peace Law), the analysis identifies two historical paramilitary models—Puerto Boyacá and Urabá. Examining the distinctions between these models provides a framework for understanding the structural dynamics of the AGC. The article argues that the AGC adopted the paramilitary model established by the Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia (AUC) to sustain territorial control and facilitate illicit activities, including drug trafficking and migrant.