Is the U.S. Winning the Drug War in Latin America Research Paper - 1

Is the U.S. Winning the Drug War in Latin the States - Research Paper ExampleCON No, the US is not winning the medicate war in Latin the States 1. Latin American nations ar moving towards drug legalization 2. Drugs have become important in balancing planetary trade in Peru by earning the nation a large foreign income 3. US anti-drug operations in some nations like Guatemala and Mexico are accused of victimization in their war on drugs 4. Venezuelan government is aiding drug traffickers by making the nation a key launching pad for US and Europe-bound cocaine 5. Latin America has marked a huge rustle in coca production over the past few years despite the US efforts of discouraging its production Amidst the narcotics decriminalizing calls by some leading Latin American leaders, Janet Napolitano, the US Homeland Security Secretary defended the drug war strategy of the US. In her tour of Central America and Mexico to strengthen the security cooperation with the nations, Napolitano cl aimed that the US would continue assisting the Latin American efforts of going after the regional producers and traffickers of drugs despite persistent drug-related violence.1 She claims that drug war has not failed but is rather a unbroken effort of keeping the regional population from addiction to the dangerous drugs. Felipe Calderon, the Mexican President, supports the war and his target is the leading kingpins, capturing and/or killing several key confidence figures with the help of the US. The two nations are also united in the search for Joaquin Guzman, after he escaped in 2001 from prison.2 Alvaro Uribe, Columbias President, started meeting the otherwise regional nations leaders on 4 August 2009 in support of the US anti-drug campaign. During the trip, Uribes aim was attempting to appease the other leaders from Latin Americas concerns regarding a deal that he expected to sign to allow the United States to relocate its recommendable drug-interdiction flight activities to Co lombia following the dismissal of such operations from Ecuador. The innovation could raise the number of the American troops within Colombia to facilitate war on drugs.3 This effort by President Uribe shows that the US war on drugs has have-to doe with on the Latin American countries and this support implies the war is not that badly off. The nation is under so much international pressure as the international community assumes that the US should deal with the whole situation with finality. This pressure may in turn make the US appear as if it is doing so weeny in this drugs war, which is not entirely the case.4 However, most Latin American nations consider this war as an overwhelming failure. Jose de Cordoba argues that drug violence has spiraled beyond control in Mexico with a commission headed by 3 former heads of Latin American states blasting the war on drug as a failed effort, which is pushing the societies in Latin America to their breaking point.5 Consequently, the first L atin American Conference attendees favored decriminalization of possession of drugs for personal use.6 Moreover, the attendees claimed that legislative reforms were underway to facilitate littler sentences are given to the small traffickers, and set up policies, which minimize harm via encouraging the addicts to seek help from the health system. Such a hemispheric tiptop could spark open revolt against US-led drug war. Actually, Latin Americans are determined to gain their independence from the disastrous US anti-drug policy.7 In an article dated 7 August 2009, Romulo Pizarro, Perus drug czar, estimates that the earnings of the foreign