The ‘blue leviathan’: Perceptions of youth on police violence and impunity in Argentina

There have been complaints against the Argentinian police for decades (CELS, 2013, 2015). The Argentinian police (either federal, national, prefectural or military) have been characterised as the ‘blue leviathan’ (Saín, 2008), being responsible for gross human rights violations and excessive violence committed against civilians. The present article focuses on youth, aiming to explore their perceptions regarding police violence and impunity based on past negative experiences in one of the most affected areas in the metropolitan region of Buenos Aires, the Mitre neighbourhood. The quantitative data gathered for this study furthers the discussion on institutional legitimacy and the mutual relationship between the development of confidence, obedience in law and procedural justice, in Argentina and beyond.