Columbia and Drug Trade Essay

The United Nations has kept a vibrant presence in Latin America as a way to combat issues such as inequality, poverty, prevention of domestic violence and gender violence, along with actions to reduce cartel interactions with Latin American society and infrastructures. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime have detailed reports regarding various drugs and the progress made to eliminate their production. The main countries monitored by this report are Colombia and Peru, as they are the largest producers of cocaine globally. In Colombia, government records displayed proof of various regions being sprayed in

Supposedly 90% of all U.S. dollars in circulation, including the $13,304,844,056 dollars spent by the U.S. to date in the War on Drugs have trace amounts of cocaine on them. Of the $13,304,844,056, $9 billion in foreign aid has been endowed to Colombia, where nearly 100% of the cocaine that is imported to the U.S. originates. The U.S. is as addicted to coke as coke is to it. The ongoing Colombian conflict between the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC), the Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia (AUC), and the government of Colombia has been raging for nearly 52 years. Yet, the 1990-2015 era of the conflict is the most notable due to the mass proliferation of cocaine. After the cartels receded from preeminence in Colombia, the nation

Liberalizing drug reforms would be a step in the right direction for Colombia and would seriously burden the cartels (Leff). The drug war is a catalyst that has increased the profits of drug cartels. The illegal nature of narcotics limits supply, allowing the cartels to charge large sums of money for their product. Everytime the authorities fighting the drug war bust a drug deal, the supply currently available goes down, and cartels are able to charge even more for drugs. The system of criminilazation created by the drug war is actually the reason that cartels are so profitable. By driving down prices, the power of drug cartels is limited. The illegality of the drug trade directs its multi-billion-dollar profits go to criminal gangs. The drugs account for the bulk of the gangs’ income and thus their firepower (“Burn”). Legalization benefits drug-producing countries by decreasing the money that cartels can use to buy firearms, 90% of which are sold to them from the United States (Ellingwood et al.). This would allow governments, rather than gangs, to govern the country.

From the third world of many South American countries, to the third street projects in the inner-city, to the third floor of a downtown luxury loft, cocaine is prevalent and being used. The business of the coca leaf is a billion dollar a year industry, if not more. Our foreign counterparts are profiting in full off of the drug. Mexico, Peru, and Colombia are some of the countries in Central and South America that are profiting and manufacturing cocaine.

Drug trafficking reached its height in Colombia around 1982. They were importing foreign exchange estimating to range between $800 million and $2 billion. Colombia reached its highest peak of economic success, allowing for the countries development of communities, parks, etc. However, the cartels were not satisfied and began to set up coca

By the mid-1980’s Colombian drug cartels controlled most of the cocaine smuggled into the United States. More than 15 tons of cocaine smuggled in each day, netting the cartel as much as $420 million a week. The cartels involved saw it as an opportunity to gain status and defeat the American government. What each person in a cartel was most afraid of was being extradited to the United States.

Drug Trafficking, civil unrest, and kidnapping are commonly associated with Colombia. However, a closer look at the South American Country, which is slightly less than two times the size of Texas, reveals not only a very rich culture that centers on fine arts and language preservation, but also a country that strives for economic progress and effective government. All of which is typically overshadowed by the notorious guerilla warfare and drug cartels.

Another dimension to the predicament in Colombia is the drug problem. Colombia is the largest producer and provider of cocaine in the world. This problem, however, is not separate to the armed conflict. In the recent past decades, control over the drug business in Colombia has shifted from drug cartel organizations such as the notorious Medellin Cartel, to both the

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.

Historically, the relations between U.S and Colombia have been marked the foreign policy and the international trade. Nevertheless, the civil war in Colombia have shifted this relation. In Colombia, the establishment of The Revolutionary Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the leftist National Liberation Army (ELN) during the 1960s created the beginning of an era of terrorist and drug trafficking. The FARC began forming in 1966 inspired by the Cuban Revolution with a left-wing nationalism and Marxism-Leninism. FARC’s actions trough the history has been involved with terrorist against of the population in Colombia. As well, thousands of peasant farmers that have been obligated to produce illicit drugs in their own properties controlled by the guerrillas. Nowadays, the FARC has been the largest and oldest insurgent group in the Americas. The FARC has been roundly criticized for initiating

Drug trafficking is a major issue in Colombia, causing many other issues across the country. Many people involved in the drug trade including civilians are being killed, kidnapped, and injured over this problem. Over the years, the government has started cracking down on the growers, producers, and sellers but so far, they have only caught minor criminals. The government is making agreements with neighboring countries and finding alternative uses for the crops to slow down the production of drugs. Despite all of the efforts being made to stop drug trafficking, violence, and production the cartels are still thriving throughout Colombia.

Drug trafficking has become an increasingly growing problem in the world today. Illegal drug trade is a worldwide black market consisting of production, distribution, packaging, and sale of illegal substances. Although today’s "War on Drugs" is a modern phenomenon, drug problems have been a common problem throughout history. The market for illegal drugs is massive, when we consider the estimated global drug trade value is worth $321 billion (Vulliamy). The most drug trafficking happens on the border between Mexico and the United States. Former Mexican President Felipe Calderon said, “Our neighbor is the largest consumer of drugs in the world. And everybody wants to sell him drugs through our door and our window”

1,700 kilos of cocaine are approximated to be dealt through Costa Rica by the end of 2016. In 2014, more than 20% of the country's GDP was being used for drug trafficking, drug production, corruption, tax evasion, and other crime. For most of the 2000’s Costa has led Central american countries in drug confiscation, and the country’s police organizations have been coordinated to focus their efforts on patrolling ocean and sea routes for smuggling. Costa Rica is also working with the US, Colombia, and Panama to diminish this problem. Unlike many other countries, especially in Central America, it is not a criminal offence to possess drugs for immediate personal use. Many Central American countries including Costa Rica are wanting an international debate to reform drug legislations. In 2013, Costa Rica allied with the US to prevent drug cartels from infiltrating the country. Besides improving security measures, Costa Rica has not proposed any major resolutions to the drug trafficking problem. One method of prevention that the Costa Rican government would be in favor of is focusing their efforts on shutting down drug cartels. Drug cartels in particular pose large threats to many Latin American countries around Costa Rica, and disbanding these cartels should be the main focus for this region. If drug cartels were no longer a threat, Costa Rica would not have to fear being overtaken by these organizations, and the drug supply around the rest of the world, especially Central America and the US, would be greatly

Even long after his death, Columbia’s Pablo Escobar has captivated the public’s attention. He was a dangerous and powerful drug-trafficker before his death roughly 20 years ago, which shows how far Columbia has come as many other traffickers were stopped as well. By improving the police force and growing the power of courts, Columbia has reacted well to the drug issues. Even so progress often still depends on the area and how corrupt the local politicians are. Columbia also improved its judiciary by imprisoning many corrupt authorities, but there still exists corruption and a lack of productivity. Columbia still made many strides in the right direction even with the problems of the 1980s and 1990s, though.

Drug cartels have grown and expanded throughout the interior and exterior of states for many years. The way drugs started to be introduced to Mexico, Colombia, and other places around the world was believed to be a myth. It was a tale that was known by many through storytelling, which over the years turned into an actual realistic issue. One of the most known cartels that existed for a long time was The Medellin Cartel. It became a subculture of its own, creating a world full of violence, women, money, firearms, death but most importantly power and fear. Located in Colombia this brutal subculture will show how they become one of the wealthiest subculture in the world surpassing even its own country’s riches.