When Bolivia transitioned away from rule by a military junta, state actors and organized crime groups were forced to adapt. Following decades of authoritarian government, Bolivia democratized in 1982. Such transitions in Latin America frequently have been accompanied by significant increases in criminal violence. In many cases, this trend is linked to lucrative drug trafficking operations and the proliferation of organized crime. Despite the rapid growth of its cocaine economy during this period, though, Bolivia largely avoided high levels of criminal violence. Gillies reveals the role of state-narco networks—relations of patronage between state actors and Bolivia's organized crime groups—in suppressing violent competition in the cocaine trade. These networks were established during the country's authoritarian period and reflected the historic clientelistic functions of the Bolivian state. As Bolivia democratized, state-narco networks evolved and became bound to a fragile post-transition settlement between the main political actors.