What is the value in having, as well as the disadvantages in relying Essay

What is the value in having, as well as the disadvantages in relying on the Rondas campesinas to provide an alternative justice system in highland Peru (Text, pp. 287-288) - Essay Example While on the other hand, one arm of the state attempted to co-opt them and their leaders were accused of taking over the functions of the police and the judiciary; they therefore faced criminal charges that often led to incarceration. At the beginning Rondas Campesinas was comprised of primarily autonomous farmers who were mestizo and Spanish; since they had no confidence in the police or the courts of being able, or enthusiastic to protect them from organized bunch of hooligans involved in theft of cattle and other violent crimes (Hancock, 2007). They supposed that the police were too slow and incompetent in responding to unlawful activities; moreover, they thought that more could have been done to manage the routes used to move the cattle out of the area and the centre where the stolen cattle were sold. In its composition, the Ronda consist of The General Assembly, made up of peasants who posses land in a particular ham let, elects the members of the Ronda committee. The committee is further divided into sub-sections; each sector is also organized by a delegate appointed by the Rondas. Men aged 18 to 60 are expected to serve in the Ronda patrols, in as much as women do not take part in the night patrols; they support the work of the Rondas by providing food and other additional services (Starn,1990). When a suspect has been found, the Rondas’ work is to hand him over to the General Assembly for further interrogation but not to the police. The General Assembly is assigned with the task of deciding whether the suspect has committed an illicit offence, and if that is the case, what punishment should be administered. Formerly, they were not allowed by the constitution to become directly involved in the administration of justice, but latter, the comunidad campesina performs jurisdictional functions. And in most cases they use physical punishment in order to re-establish