In settings where the state is unable or unwilling to enforce the rule of law, why do victims resist similar forms of criminal victimization in contrasting ways? Drawing on fieldwork in localities in Colombia, El Salvador and Mexico, this project weaves together interviews, focus groups, and participatory drawing exercises to explain why victims pursue distinct strategies to resist one of the most widespread, yet understudied, forms of victimization in Latin America: criminal extortion. The analysis traces and compares processes that vary in their objectives, levels of collective action, frequency, violent and/or non-violent practices, and forms of state participation.