Drug Trafficking In Latin America

            The militarization and criminalization of drugs in Latin America has led to a precipitous increase in violence, killing thousands of people and injuring many more. Economist Jeffrey Miron of CNN writes, “Prohibition creates violence because it drives the drug market underground. This means buyers and sellers

The United States has a long history of intervention in the affairs of one it’s southern neighbor, Latin America. The war on drugs has been no exception. An investigation of US relations with Latin America in the period from 1820 to 1960, reveals the war on drugs to be a convenient extension of an almost 200 year-old policy. This investigation focuses on the commercial and political objectives of the US in fighting a war on drugs in Latin America. These objectives explain why the failing drug policy persisted despite its overwhelming failure to decrease drug production or trafficking. These objectives also explain why the US has recently exchanged a war on drugs for the war on

Like many other countries in Latin America and across the globe, Peru is no stranger to the economic and social impacts of illicit drug trade. However, unlike most other countries in the region like Colombia, Peru does not experience a high rate or organized crime or violence surrounding the drug trade. Although violence is minimal, the growth of cocoa and the production of cocaine is a massive industry within the country, creating an interesting dynamic between the people of Peru, those involved in the drug trade, and the Peruvian Government. The drug trade in Peru has been fueled by the geography, structure of the criminal groups involved, perceived corruption of the military and police forces, and an ineffective and overcrowded prison system.

El Salvador remains a major transit country for illegal drugs headed to the United States from source countries in South America. The United States government estimates that approximately 83 percent of the cocaine trafficked to the United States in the first half of 2015 first transited through the Mexico/Central America corridor. Traffickers in El Salvador use “go-fast” boats and commercial vessels to smuggle illegal drugs along the country’s coastline and to provide fuel to drug-laden vessels en route to northern destinations. The Pan-American Highway is the primary land route, with traffickers using buses and tractor-trailers to smuggle shipments. El Salvador was identified as a major transit country for the fifth year

Over the past decade drug cartels has had a free flow through Central America to import illegal drugs to the U.S. Even with a strict drug policy drugs are still crossing the Mexican border. Due to corruption and political influence drug cartels are able to manipulate the government to go undetected. The drug cartel is infamous for their ability to kidnapped, corrupt, and kill anyone trying to crackdown or expose any operation. Due to this corruption within local governments drug activity has been able to flourish causing countless lives of innocent people.

Beginning in the early 1970s, the country became a prime smuggling ground for marijuana. But as the cocaine market flourished, Colombia’s geographical location proved to be its biggest asset. Situated at the northern tip of South America between the thriving coca cultivation epicenters of Peru and Bolivia, the country came to dominate the global cocaine trade with the United States, the biggest market for the drug, just a short trip to the north. Escobar moved quickly to grab control of the cocaine trade. In 1975, Medellin drug trafficker Fabio Restrepo was murdered. His killing, it’s believed, came at the orders of Escobar, who immediately seized power and expanded Restrepo’s operation into something the world had never seen. Under Escobar’s leadership, large amounts of coca paste were purchased in Bolivia and Peru, processed, and brought to America. Escobar worked with a small group to form the infamous Medellin

Latin America was and still is a major producer of drugs. The drugs are still a big problem around the world because people want them for their personal use and to gain their own wealth. There is a drug war that countries are still fighting against which is drugs being traded and trafficked in and out of these countries. The famous drugs that Latin America produces and sells are marijuana, cocaine, and heroin. These drugs effected the past and is still affecting the present in negative ways. The countries individuals, farmers, environments and more were affected in the past and is still affected today.

Politically, economically, and culturally, Colombia is known as “the worst humanitarian hotspot” (nationsonline.org: 2015) and it is because of its association with the drug cartels. Colombia is a northern South American country that emerged from the collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830 when Venezuela and Ecuador also emerged. It is a mountain-like, grassy, and tropical country that possesses natural resources ranging from coal, natural gas, and emeralds. Colombia’s agriculture produces coffee, sugarcane, tobacco and many other things; and, it has industries for textiles, clothing, and chemicals. However, Colombia is known as one of “the worst humanitarian hotspots” because of its history with drugs. Colombia’s affiliation with the

The majority, or being specific, approximately half of all this drugs we are talking about comes from Colombia. In Colombia drugs are legal in some level and some things, and that is what increase the use of it. Colombia is one of the top producers of drugs in all Latin America, besides Bolivia and Peru.

The United States is very interwoven with many Latin American countries, but most Americans don’t know how our actions in the U.S. effect the people living in these countries. Americans are positively impacting Latin America regions in the areas of tourism, immigration, and natural resources, but the U.S. is not making a positive impact in the area of drugs. Travel provides jobs for millions of people, immigration helps fill the job gap, consumption of natural resources helps to protect the environment, but drugs are giving cartels control over the government.

Abstract: Colombia is internationally notorious for the trafficking of illicit drugs, and for the past thirty years. Its impact of politics and society has been immense. This essay will highlight and expand to what extent have Colombia’s socio-politics been affected. It will firstly highlight, the damaging effects of the narcotics industry, by explaining 1) the economic effects, 2) undermining the authority of the Colombian Government through funding Guerrilla and paramilitary groups and social consequences of these groups, 3) the corruption of politics 4) political relations with the USA, 5) direct political power of drug lords and 6) the health consequences of the circulation of drugs. However, these arguments will be counteracted by

The war on drugs is a serious issue in today’s society. One of the main places that has to endure this is Mexico. All around Mexico’s states, there are constant drug wars among different powerful cartels and drug lords. Due to these organizations, there are many instances of violence and needless deaths. There are many different drug lords, and they have caused many issues throughout Mexico.

Many illegal drugs are produced and sold in Latin America. Latin America has illegal drugs such as cocaine,marijuana,and basuco wich is a form of crack cocaine. It affects this country because it causes drug trafficking in Latin America. Drug trafficking is where you buy and sell illegal drugs.Wich is considered a very dangerous and serious crime.This causes crime rate to go up causing more and more people getting sent to jail,so this causes government officials to figure out ways to fix these problems in Latin America.

It has been known that poor and corrupt countries are a fertile ground for drugs. They pass by us almost naturally. In the original Netflix series, “Narcos”, is not different. It takes place in Colombia, in the late 70’s to early 90’s. Cocaine had just arrived to the country from a chilean man, bringing with itself a trace of money and death. As a consequence, many people thought it was a good idea to sell that new product. Pablo Escobar was one of the first to do that. Then, huge manufacturing labs have been installed. Every piece of the city of Medellín was involved, from children to politicians.

Pien Metaal, Drug policy in the Americas – a new set of Latin American policy proposal VOL. 12 NO. 3 2012, pp. 141-145 This article aims to give some background information about the debate around drug policies in Latin America and to provide a view on a possible future direction of the developing debate. High political level figures indicate that the current strategies in Latin America is has failed in reducing drug use. The results of this study are some of the policies and being debated are possible replicas of policies implemented in the US.