Drug trafficking and violence in central america and beyond english abstract. In 2011 alone the latest year for which data are available u. Latin americas legalization push as drug violence rages, mexico takes the lead on policy reform. The profits earned through drug trafficking increase the staying power of both street gangs and drug trafficking organizations dtos, thereby influencing levels of violent crime in both the united states and mexico.
The regional programme for central america is the result of an indepth consultation process fully supported by. Drug trafficking is viewed as a primary threat to citizen security and u. At current levels, world heroin consumption 340 tons and seizures represent an annual flow of 430450 tons of heroin into the global heroin market. In the 1990s, most latin americans felt little effects from drugs or drug trafficking. Sullivan specialist in latin american affairs june s. In the areas in latin america where the drug production and drug trafficking are high, the environment is taking a major blow, and theres a lot of damage done to the sensitive ecosystems. Latin america drug trafficking to the us and why making. Even in latin americas fastest growing country brazil, the level of rural poverty is over 50%. Rethinking the drug war in central america and mexico. Central america and mexico rethinking the drug war in 4 in honduras, since the 2008 merida initiative and later carsi were applied in central america, the homicide rate has gone from 58 to 85 per 100,000 residents, giving it the highest murder rate in the world. A number of writers have alleged that the united states central intelligence agency cia was involved in cocaine trafficking during the 1980s.
This report also includes an appendix containing brief profiles of five alleged operatives of islamic fundamentalist groups in the tba and a diagram of drug trafficking routes in the region. Drug trafficking the movement and sale of illegal drugs drug cartel. Center for 21st century security and intelligence latin america initiative 4 narcotics and nationalism. Mexico becoming narcostate the arizona republic, february 7, 2010, accessed october 14. Terrorist and organized crime groups in the triborder. Boston george working w pablo escobar, prison visit from johnny depp, and more. Indigenous guerrilla and terrorist groups operating in drugproducing regions of afghanistan, colombia, peru, and elsewhere are heavily involved in the drug trade. The impact of the drug trade on us foreign policy toward latin american countries. Colombia is a middleincome country and one of the oldest democracies in latin america. Major trends in the twentyfirst century, woodrow wilson center update on the americas, washington, dc.
Several organisations operate initiatives aimed at depriving organised crime groups of the profits from drug trafficking. Pickering and ernesto zedillo for agreeing to serve as cochairs of the partnership for the americas commission. The selective bibliography includes books, journal articles, and other reports. Thousands of kilograms of illegal drugs cross international borders daily, leaving the hands of violent traffickers and entering the lives of drug dealers and addicts. Further information can be found in the yearly world drug report. A global overview of narcoticsfunded terrorist and other. Drug trafficking, organized crime, and violence in the americas today. Counterdrug programs congressional research service summary drug trafficking is viewed as a primary threat to citizen security and u. Their skillful leadership was crucial for stimulating and provoking the commissions discussions and for building a consensus. These numbers reflect the potential for huge profits which is the fundamental driver of criminal trade. Although, in principle, drug traffickers have a plethora of suitable routes through which to move illicit drugs, in actuality, drug trafficking is concentrated along specific routes, as countries. Drug trafficking is defined as the possession of an illegal drug in a fixed quantity that constitutes that the drug is going to be sold merriamwebster. Terrorist and organized crime groups in the triborder area. West africa, like any other region in the world, has had to swallow its fair share of modernday political, economic and social dilemmas.
Drug trafficking is the most crucial and most dangerous phase of the illicit drug market. Edwards evolution of ecuadors national drug legislation institutional structure law 108. The history of central american gangs and drug trafficking is a complex one filled with murder and extortion. For the production of drugs first is needed the raw material, which in latin america is mostly cannabis and coca.
In most cases, the relationship between insurgent groups and drugtrafficking. As the market for cocaine has been contracting in north america, latin american drug networks have switched their attention to europe, which is now the worlds fastest growing market for cocaine. But the auc became increasingly involved in drug trafficking. Central american gangs and drug trafficking recent central.
Due to the worldwide situation related to covid19 and related factors, the 14th united nations congress on crime prevention and criminal justice, scheduled to be held in kyoto, japan on 2027 april 2020, has been postponed to an as yet undetermined later date. Insurgency and organized crime in colombia the colombian case is special in regard to the di. Drug trafficking and violence in central america and. Systems overload drug laws and prisons in latin america contents ecuador a short history of ecuadors drug legislation and the impact on its prison population sandra g. Islamic terrorist groups have used the tba for fundraising, drug trafficking, money laundering, plotting, and other activities in support of their organizations. John vizcanoreuters the farc and colombias illegal drug trade. Central american gangs and drug trafficking recent. The impact of the drug trade on us foreign policy toward latin american for many years the united states has been fighting a battle against the trafficking, production, and importation of illegal drugs. The overall goal of this project is to produce a comprehensive bibliography of publications on sex trafficking by latin american researchers and to ascertain their knowledge of this pressing global problem. November 10, 2004 how the drug war in afghanistan undermines.
Unaccounted costs, lost lives, missed opportunities 8 mejia and restrepo, op. Drug trafficking, organized crime, and violence in the. However, as narcotrafficking become the source of funding for violent insurgents and paramilitaries in colombia and peru, and as drug use and drug related gang activity has exploded around the region, that. The first part of the paper addresses particular questions posed for the 2011 world development report and examines several competing hypothesis on the. Usmexican border in addition to drug trafficking, transnational organized criminals are involved in human, money, and. The fight against drug trafficking and crime in the. Yet because of a lack of trust, an inability to undertake stable commitments by some countries, and different u. Counterdrug programs april 30, 2010 march 19, 2012 r41215 drug trafficking is viewed as a primary threat to citizen security and u. These claims have led to investigations by the united states government, including hearings and reports by the united states house of representatives, senate, department of justice, and the cias office of the inspector general. The main leader of the guadalajara cartel was miguel angel felix gallardo an exbody guard for the state governor of sinaloa, mexico that used his connections to control most of the drug trafficking in the route of drugs coming from south america into the. Latin america faces some of the worst poverty in the world.
Two events in december 1989 indicate that the bush administration is dramatically escalating the war on drugs in latin. Meanwhile the war on drugs is creating problems of its own broken families, increased poverty, racial disparities, wasted tax dollars, prison overcrowding and eroded civil liberties. However, it has endured nearly half a century of intense armed conflict. Trends and policies at the same time, however, brazil remains one of the. This report also includes an appendix containing brief profiles of five alleged operatives of islamic fundamentalist groups in the tba and a diagram of drugtrafficking routes in the region. Section vi proposes recommendations that can be taken to confront human trafficking in central america. Latin america american terrorism issues and possible convergence with drug cartels in central and south america terrorism in latin america columbia the leftist national liberation army eln united selfdefense forces of colombia auc the leftist revolutionary armed forces of colombia farc cuba venezuela mexico iranian activity and sponsorship focus tri boarder area of argentina, brazil. Currently, the toll of drug trafficking can be seen in the drug war the u. Often people believe that gangs and cartels are the same, but they are different. The large arab community in the tba is highly conducive to the establishment of sleeper cells of islamic terrorists, including hizballah and al qaeda. Of particular concern is the trafficking and distribution of heroin. In most cases, the relationship between insurgent groups. Departure locations of identified drug trafficking shipments by sea from south america to europe, 20062008.
This paper examines the relationship between narcotics trafficking and violence in central america. The 2018 national drug threat assessment ndta1 is a comprehensive strategic assessment of the threat posed to the united states by domestic and international drug trafficking and the abuse of illicit drugs. The conference, drug trafficking, violence and instability in mexico, colombia and the caribbean. However, as narcotrafficking become the source of funding for violent insurgents and paramilitaries in colombia and peru, and as drug use and drugrelated gang activity has exploded around the region, that. Unodc response to illicit drug trafficking within the framework of the regional programme for central america. The impact of organized crime on democratic governance. Gang members are given inferior jobs and serve as hired muscle for drug cartels. The incidence of the full costs of prohibitionthe example of colombia though the united states and other countries of the global north have high drugcontrol. Russian drug policies and futures the profits made through drug trafficking also con. Bolivia is a source of cocaine that fuels south americas transatlantic cocaine trade to west africa and europe.
Even those americans who oppose drug legalization and endorse the drug war as a. Pdf the economic impact of drug trafficking in mexico. Poverty is the state of extreme poor having little or no money for goods and services. Drug trafficking united nations office on drugs and crime. Policy in latin america, giving particular attention to how counterdrug policies have affected the regions militaries, police forces, and judicial and legal systems. In areas of latin america where drug production and.
The brookings institution owes a debt of gratitude to thomas r. As a whole, one out of five latin americans live in chronic poverty. The financial action task force develops standards and promotes the implementation of legislative and regulatory tools to tackle money laundering and terrorist financing. One phenomenon that has had huge negative implications on the political, economic and social spheres of almost every country on the face of the earth is the production, trafficking, marketing and consumption of illicit drugs. The phenomenon of organized crime and extreme violence surrounding the activities of drug cartels and the movement of drugs from production to consumer markets continues to be a major source of public insecurity in parts of central america and mexico. Combating drug trafficking in latin america al jazeera english. Other countries in the region such as haiti and jamaica7 are highly affected by human trafficking and used as trafficking hubs for south american drugs bound for europe and the united states. Most of these drugs come from the countries of central and south america, where it is not illegal. A drug eradication campaign could easily drive important warlords into alliance with americas terrorist adversaries. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, much of the fighting between the farc and the auc was for control over coca plantations and trafficking routes. In the context of the 2009 coup detat, impunity and dysfunctional. A call for drug policyreform is echoing across latin america, where a decadeslong, u. In response to some concerns that these criminal organizations may be adopting terrorist tactics, the state department asserted in its 2010 and. Because of the sheer size of its population, brazil had the greatest number of users in south america.
Thecocaine enters europe mainly by exploiting the legitimate container trade. The coca cultivation is concentrated in the andes of south america, particularly in colombia, peru and bolivia. Combating drug trafficking in latin america youtube. Latin america is the region with the most drug trafficking and violence in the world. For example, latin american consumers in 2010 were estimated to absorb some 200 metric tons of cocaine. Center for 21st century security and intelligence latin america initiative 3 drugs and drug trafficking in brazil. The systemic violence in foreign countries, particularly latin america, associated with the production and transportation of drugs necessary this document is a research report submitted to the u. However, it has endured nearly half a century of intense armed conflict, perpetuated by widespread illegal drug. The conference focused on a national security challenge which has thus far been contained but is taking dramatically new and dangerous forms. Cia involvement in contra cocaine trafficking wikipedia. Implica tions for us national security, was held on october 29 and 30, 2009. The illegal drug trade in latin america concerns primarily the production and sale of cocaine and cannabis, including the export of these banned substances to the united states and europe.
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