Miguel Angel Felix Gallardo: Las Fuerzas Armadas De Colombia

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Introduction:

Miguel Angel Felix Gallardo, also known as “El Padrino” or the godfather, was a powerful Mexican drug kingpin from the late sixties to his arrest in 1989. Before entering the drug sphere, Gallardo was a policeman in Guadalajara. Gallardo got his start by selling opium and marijuana on Mexican soil, before expanding into wholesaling Colombian cocaine. Along with Ernesto Fonseca Carrillo and Rafael Caro Quintero, Gallardo founded the Guadalajara Cartel. At its peak, the Guadalajara Cartel provided 90% of the cocaine entering the United States and took in nearly five billion USD per year from the drug trade. In addition, the cartel controlled much of the Pacific Coast and the Mexican border with the United States. Personally, …show more content…

The surviving members of the National Liberation Army (ELN) are hiding in the northeast of Colombia and the FARC has lost a majority of its soldiers and resources during skirmishes with the army in 1973. In addition, public opinion is turning against the FARC, since kidnapping for ransom has disrupted communities. Members of the FARC are now restricted in their movement and the organizational capacity is severely limited. Reviving the support of peasants is essential for the success of FARC. Although the organization does provide some services to peasants, stepping in where the government has not will improve the view of the FARC in the eyes of peasants. More specifically, providing education, healthcare, and jobs to peasants will improve public opinion. In Mexico, the Guadalajara Cartel engages in similar poverty assistance programs, which have helped the cartel gain influence and …show more content…

In the countryside, peasants suffer a poor lifestyle due to a lack of jobs. The solution to the employment problem is simple: narcotics. Colombia is a logical place for the narcotics trade to occur. For thousands of years, indigenous people in Colombia and surrounding countries have used coca, the plant from which cocaine is made, for medicinal purposes. Many farmers already grow coca, since it is known for its medicinal qualities. The geography of Colombia also adds to its position in the drug trade. Situated between five countries and two oceans, the physical location of Colombia is ideal for traffickers to smuggle cocaine without detection. In addition, the mountain ranges make hiding from international and national anti-narcotics agents relatively easy. Although the beginning of the Medellin and Cali Cartels are emerging, the FARC should also become a major player in the narcotics industry. A transition plan to complete control over rural farmers should occur in two parts. First, the FARC should begin encouraging the planting of cocaine and marijuana in exchange for protection to small farmers. Many farmers are struggling with legal crops, so selling drugs to the FARC will provide a reliable income source to them. The FARC should then process the cocaine and work with the Guadalajara Cartel to ship the cocaine to Mexico. Processing infrastructure, such as holding facilities and cocaine

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