A DEADLY COMBINATION OF DRUGS AND VIOLENCE

A DEADLY COMBINATION OF DRUGS AND VIOLENCE

Columbia is the fourth largest country in South America and has a reputation of being one of the more socially unstable countries in the region. This is due to the overwhelming amount of drugs and violence in the country. Columbia is by far the world largest producer of cocaine. . It currently produces over 80% of the world’s cocaine. This drug problem currently affects its progress as a nation. The drug trade in Colombia took root in the mid 70’s and early 80’s where the notorious kingpin Pablo Escobar smuggled in more than 13 tons of cocaine into the United Sates every day. Ironically enough Colombia’s biggest trade partner and biggest supporter of the Colombia’s coca eradication efforts happens to be the biggest consumer of cocaine in the world, and that happens to be the United States of America. According to the U.S. Department of Justice’s 2010 Cocaine Signature Program, 95.5% of the cocaine seized in the United States originates in Colombia. America has long been known for its role in the war on narcotics, but the fact remains that America has the largest demand for narcotics and is also the largest consumer of narcotics in the world. The drug trade has affected Latin America in a negative way because drugs and violence go hand in hand.

The drugs are also linked to another Colombian issue, which is the problem of internal conflict and insurgencies. Insurgencies are group rebellions against political authority with the use military force and civil violence. Insurgencies act as a separate state within a state, some of them set up their own institutions and are armed with their own weapons. Since these insurgent groups are cut off from the government and are criminals they have no other way to fund their activities than the illegal drug trade. When you couple their activities as insurgents with their involvement in the drug trade what you have are narco-terrorists. Insurgents are very active in Colombia and an example of one is the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).  The FARC uses the illegal drug trade as a means to fund their objectives. One of their most notable customers is the Mexican drug cartels, and with the FARC supplying the drug cartels with narcotics it makes for more violence in both countries. As the biggest guerrilla army in Colombia, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia operates in different regions of the country mainly in search for financial sources to fund their 40-year old war against the government and upkeep their army. It has long funded its political agenda and military battle against the Colombian government by kidnapping, extortion and by participating in the drug trafficking business.  The FARC possess a range of areas in which they operate and these areas controlled by them.

Alvaro Uribe, the president form 2002-2010 defeated the FARC militant groups several times and has severely decreased their power. He managed to secure Colombia and bring about progress on the civil and national front.  In addition, more than 20,000 members of the FARC and other illegal armed groups have individually surrendered their arms .There has been a drop in the production of cocaine in Colombia over the last 10 years.

Born In Blood and Fire: A Concise History of Latin America

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aQfKk3ykBBes

http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/11815-farc-biggest-drug-cartel.html