Colonialism, social compacts, and the taxonomy of poverty -- The city of Quito -- Living on the edge : survival strategies of the urban poor -- Defining the "solemn poor" : wordplay and petitions of poverty in colonial Quito, 1678-1782 -- Prostrate before the feet of the king : widows, wdowhood,...

This paper studies the evolution of violence in South America. It analyzes and discusses the influence of different economic variables on homicide rates, using an econometric test based on data of some South American countries during the period 1995-2000. It shows that this economic approach can...