El tratamiento del terrorismo de estado en los discursos político-institucionales

Abstract

This thesis performs analysis of the concepts of the term terrorism and its possible derivations to reach study of State terrorism and of resistance, observing its historical evolution and the respective discourses. The first chapter describes terror, with doctrinal discussion of the concept and dealing with the origin of the term. The second chapter refers to the social perception of the phenomenon and its meaning. Based on that analysis, a third chapter is provided, that covers, apart from the origin of the term and the difficulties to conceptualise it, the inherent concepts, dividing them into basic, doctrinal and institutional. Once this matter has been analysed, we reach the fourth chapter, that addresses the issues of State terrorism and the respective concepts. The fifth chapter evaluates terrorism in relation to politics and geopolitics, verifying the practical similarities between the terms “terrorism” and “struggle”, although their use, according to the observer, nearly always arises in a contrasting manner. Based on those differences, the sixth chapter studies other relevant differences, specifically between terrorism and legitimate resistance, and also between combatants and innocent persons. To that end, the development of a specific case is studied (the conflict between Palestine and Israel), observing the United Nations Resolutions on the matter. The seventh chapter mentions the main compound terms using the word “terrorism” and each one of them is analysed and compared with the original concept of the phenomenon. Those terms are: domestic terrorism, lone wolf terrorism, narco-terrorism, street terrorism, ecological terrorism, economic terrorism, electoral terrorism, news terrorism, educational terrorism, cultural terrorism and cyber-terrorism. Finally, the conclusions propose a conceptualism of the term that principally aims to cover State terrorism and resistance.