No more drug war in Latin America? Report explores new ways to fight drugs
A new OAS report looks at alternatives to prohibiting the drug trade, including legal market regulation, reform of the UN drug convention, and smarter policing.
A new OAS report looks at alternatives to prohibiting the drug trade, including legal market regulation, reform of the UN drug convention, and smarter policing.
In the global fight against drug trafficking, it鈥檚 high time countries experiment with 鈥渘ontraditional鈥� approaches.
That鈥檚 the advice given to the United States and Latin America in a sweeping new report by the Organization of American States on the region's drug problem. The 190-page document explores a range of potential pathways for dealing with the illicit drug trade, including legal market regulation, reform of the United Nations drug convention, and smarter policing.
鈥淚t clearly acknowledges that the current state of affairs is not acceptable and there is really a need to look forward,鈥� says Kasia Malinowska, director of the Open Society Foundations鈥� Global Drug Policy Program. 鈥淐ountries have to decide what level of experimentation is right for them. This is clearly a door opener.鈥�
The report is the fruit of a proposal made last year by leaders of OAS member countries who, frustrated with prohibitionist policies, requested greater analysis of the problem and possible solutions.
It鈥檚 also the latest sign that the tide may be slowly turning against the US-led war on drugs.
Two years ago, the Global Commission on Drug Policy 鈥撀爓hose members include former presidents of Mexico, Brazil, and Colombia, and a former US secretary of State 鈥撀燾hallenged the status quo of 40 years of 鈥渄rug war鈥� by recommending the decriminalization of users and experimenting with legal regulation.
Since then, several leaders in Latin America have come out against a militarized approach to fighting drug production and trafficking. Guatemalan President Otto P茅rez Molina has favored decriminalizing drug production, transit, and consumption, while Uruguay鈥檚 Jos茅 Mujica has floated the idea of creating a government-run market for marijuana.
In Mexico, President Enrique Pe帽a Nieto has said he doesn鈥檛 believe legalization is the solution, although the growing number of US states that have voted for a legally regulated marijuana market complicate Mexico鈥檚 choices. Mexico is believed to supply about half of the marijuana consumed in the US, according to the OAS report, and is a top producer of methamphetamines and heroin.
Latin America suffers the brunt of consequences of the drug war. In Mexico alone, upwards of 70,000 people have died in drug-related violence over the past six years. Drug-related violence has plagued Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador as traffickers have increasingly infiltrated Central America.
The latest report envisions a future in which countries 鈥減ursue a path of gradual, evidence-based experimentation and reform.鈥�
鈥淎 good outlook would be an acceptance that prohibition has failed, that experimentation with new policy frameworks should be encouraged,鈥� the report notes. 鈥淭his could involve legalization, harm reduction, investing more in treatment regimes. The precise formula should vary according to the democratic decisions of each country.鈥�