Mexican War On Drugs Analysis

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LES ROCHES

Mexican war on drugs

Levels of Analysis

International Politics

Andre de la Parra Klaus 308597

11/4/2014

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Contents

1. INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................... 3

2. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF DRUG TRAFFICKING AND WAR ON DRUGS IN MEXICO ........... 3

Mexico and international drug prohibition regime ................................................................ 3

A brief history of the drug-trade and the State in Mexico .................................................. 5

Levels of analysis through the phases of the conflict ................................................................. 5

Conclusion ................................................................................................................................

Its development during the twentieth century, there was, in turn, about three main acts: the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs 1961, the Convention on Psychotropic Substances of 1971 and the Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances of 1988. This rise and eventually the consolidation of this prohibition regime would not have been possible without the role played by the United States. People like Harry J. Anslinger, a fervent advocate of drug prohibition and actions with emphasis on drug supply, dominated the policies related to the control of narcotic drugs within the American nation and set the position of this country and outside of it, through narcotics diplomacy that was not only intended to make its neighboring countries adhere to its rules and policies, but sought to underpin a nascent international regime on drug prohibition. Finally the rising narcotics bureaucracy in Washington prompted the successful globalization of the “War on drugs” US policy

Although at a very high economic and human cost, the war against drug-traffickers was highly successful in terms of killing and capturing top cartel leaders. Unfortunately the usual effect of a captured cartel leader is not the disappearance of his organization but the inner fighting among it in order to split and establish smaller less organized and disciplined gangs. These smaller cartels and gangs don’t have the economic power to directly confront the Mexican state. That is the reason why they increasingly try to establish themselves in remote cities, where they can intimidate, corrupt and control local authorities while they try to hide from the radar of federal forces. Because they no longer hold any bonds with the federal police or executive, they no longer play by any set of rules. Although this smaller cartels and gangs no longer represent a threat to the Mexican Government, their capacity to create human and material damage is unprecedented. This has recently been shown in the disappearance and killing of 43 students in Iguala. A small city in southern mexico where the mayor himself was part of Guerreros Unidos, a new small cartel or gang that split when the Beltran Leyva Cartel was dismantled. The mayor along with this gang virtually