Implementing Us Anti Drug Policy In The Andes

Fire in the Andes is a trenchant comparative analysis of why the U.S. drug wars in Bolivia and Peru are failing. While frequent anti-drug battles are won, a flawed policy analysis and strategy have led to strategic foreign policy defeat in the region. This book fills an important gap in our in-depth knowledge of U.S. foreign policy and its application in the drug wars of the high Andes region of South America. Written from the perspective of a former active participant in the U.S. anti-drug policy formulation and implementation efforts, the study uses an in-depth comparative approach to evaluate the effectiveness of the U.S. anti-drug foreign policy in Bolivia and Peru which currently comprise the primary focus of the Clinton Administration's counter-drug efforts to combat narcotrafficking at the source in Latin America today.

Written from the perspective of a former active participant in the U.S. anti-drug policy formulation and implementation efforts, Cocaine Quagmire is an in-depth analysis of why the U.S. drug war in Colombia is failing. While frequent anti-drug battles are won, dynamic socioeconomic and political factors have created a quagmire of countervailing obstacles leading to strategic foreign policy defeat in the North Andes. The Clinton Administration focused on combating narcotrafficking and yet misunderstood how a strong international demand and immense profits provide the basic incentives that keep the Colombian cocaine traffickers in business. This book is important in that it fills a significant gap in our knowledge of U.S. foreign policy and its application in the drug wars of the South American country of Colombia.

This book is a collection of studies of drug policies in several Latin American countries. The chapters analyze the specific histories of drug policies in each country, as well as related phenomena and case studies throughout the region. It presents conceptual reflections on the origins of prohibition and the “War on Drugs,” including the topic of human rights and cognitive freedom. Further, the collection reflects on the pioneering role of some Latin American countries in changing paradigms of international drug policy. Each case study provides an analysis of where each state is now in terms of policy reform within the context of its history and current socio-political circumstances. Concurrently, local movements, initiatives, and backlash against the reformist debate within the hemisphere are examined. The recent changes regarding the regulation of marijuana in the United States and their possible impact on Latin America are also addressed. This work is an important, up-to-date and well-researched reference for all who are interested in drug policy from a Latin American perspective.

This book examines the geographic displacement of the illicit drug industry as a side effect of United States foreign policy. To reduce the supply of cocaine and heroin from abroad, the US has relied on coercion against farmers, traffickers and governments, but this has only exacerbated the world's drugs problems. US Foreign Policy and the War on Drugs develops and applies a causal mechanism to explain the displacement, analyzing US anti-drug initiatives at different times and in various regions. The findings clearly show that American foreign policy has been a major driving force behind the global spread of the illicit drug industry, calling for urgent revision. This book will be of interest to students of US foreign policy, security studies and international relations in general.