Though less commonly discussed in the state violence literature, in this chapter we document how state actors engage in violence in the name of economic growth. The chapter begins by discussing the relationship, and related challenges, between economic development and democracy. It then explores the Peruvian context and outlines three ways in which states perpetuate violence by providing protection and security, not to its citizens, but to private (or public) enterprise. These are: first, the criminalization of protest and the state’s extreme response to it; second, the use of force by states and private security actors on behalf of business, with a focus on the extractive industry; and third, direct participation as state-owned enterprises perpetuating violence. The chapter explores each of these types of engagement in turn and offers illustrative examples from Peru. It concludes with reflections on these dynamics of violence across Latin America.