The Effects of the Latin American Economy on Drug Wars

1. The Effects of the Latin American Economy on Drug Wars Paul Mascali

2. Thesis Question How has the economy in Latin America affected the drug wars and the smuggling of illegal substances?

3. Latin American History • 1820 nearly all of Latin American won its freedom from Spain • it was divided into more than 20 weaker countries by race, wealth, and geography http://www.visitlatinamerica.com/images/latin-america-map.jpg

4. Brazil 2002 Population-174 million Unemployment-7.5% Labor force-161 million Trade partners U.S., Argentina, Germany, Netherlands, Japan, Italy Latin American Income Brazil 2008 Population- 191 million Unemployment-8.7% Labor force-175 million Trade Partners U.S., China, Argentina, Germany, Japan, Nigeria, Netherlands Mexico 2009 Population -109 million Unemployment- 3.7% Labor force- 105 million Trade Partners US, China, South Korea, Japan http://cdn.wn.com/o25/ph//2009/01/22/8ef2af1842a349f036c66ec1fe23415a-grande.jpg

5. Predicted Economic Changes • economic boom has taken place because of cash crops • Europe and America do not buy outside products such as the ones from Latin America

6. Corruption in Latin America • President Alberto K. Fujimori was sentenced to 25 years in prison • Jorge Garcia-“Injustice has been committed…now we must take to the streets to make ourselves heard”

7. http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/graphic/2005/06/16/GR2005061600053.gifhttp://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/graphic/2005/06/16/GR2005061600053.gif Drug War in Mexico • Number of gangland killings have reached 5,376 • A 117 percent increase of deaths have occurred in the year • Profits of the illegal drug trade has strengthened the ranks of the drug lords in Mexico • excess profits the drug lords have hired politicians, judges, prison guards, and police officers http://media.photobucket.com/image/mexican%20drug%20war/pushpinderbagga/march/mexicandrugmafia/mexican-drug-war-boston-pictures-10.jpg

8. Colombian Drug Trade Marijuana Cocaine • Colombia didn’t start supplying marijuana to excess until the late 1960’s • The origin of the marijuana boom can be traced to a search by US consumers for a new supply source of marijuana. • The new Colombian drug lords soon took over the producing and distributing of the marijuana that was produced in Colombia. • During the 1970's the Colombian Drug Lords began focusing their attention on supplying a vast amount of cocaine • In the late 1980's when law enforcement began to really crack down on the transporting of coca base to Colombia, the Colombians began planting and growing there own coca plants • cocaine can be transported much more easily and has a much higher profit than does marijuana. http://www.healthjockey.com/images/marijuana-herb.jpg http://www.typicallyspanish.com/spain/uploads/2/cocaine_lines_on_a_mirror_1__1_.jpg

9. Colombian Smuggling • Daniel Rendon Herrera was a Columbian drug cartel • captured on April 16, 2009 • Rendon had a $2-million bounty on his head in Colombia and has been indicted in U.S. federal court on charges of smuggling 100 tons of cocaine • In a raid in August on a Rendon arsenal, authorities seized 140,000 rounds of ammunition, among the largest illegal munitions caches ever found in Colombia. • Rendon's henchmen were responsible for more than 3,000 killings in recent years. http://images.tvnz.co.nz/tvnz_images/news2009/south-america/Daniel_Rendon_Herrera_2.jpg http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-colombia-drugbust16-2009apr16,0,2299612.story

10. Thoumi, Francisco E. (1995).  Political Econonmy & Illegal Drugs in Colombia.  Colorado: Lynne Rienner • George, Susan (1992).  The Debt Boomerang.  San Francisco: Westview Press • Scott, Peter D. & Marshall, Johnathan  (1991).  Cocaine Politics.  Los Angeles: University of California Press • Gootenberg, Paul  (1999).  Cocaine; Global Histories.  New York: Routledge