I've been catching up with drug cartels and how they acquire and maintain power, actual power. Like they can kill you and everyone you know and get away with it.
Doesn't that make them a government? Not in law, but in reality.
Turns out there is such a thing as a de facto government - like the cartels - and a de jure government. Teh government of Mexico is one example, or Katy.
Here's what ChatGPT tells me about them:
A de facto government is a government that has taken power and is exercising control over a territory, but without legal or constitutional legitimacy.
- "De facto" means "in fact" or "in practice." A de facto government exists in reality because it has actual power and control.
- It differs from a de jure government ("by law"), which is the government legally recognized by a country’s constitution or international law.
De facto governments often arise through coups, revolutions, or military takeovers, when an existing government is displaced but the new rulers are not lawfully established.
They may or may not be recognized by other states or international organizations.
Example: If the military overthrows a country’s elected government and rules without a legal mandate, that military regime would be considered a de facto government.
