Transcript Drug Violence in Latin America

Drug Violence in Latin
America
By Victor Sandoval
INTB 3000 004
Drugs and Violence

Drug consumption can lead to acts of violence

Directly through the effects of the drug
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Indirectly as a means of acquiring money to feed the
habit
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As a part of drug trafficking

Drugs lead to less individual violence than alcohol
The Major Drug
Trafficking Organizations
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Los Zetas

Los Zetas are the biggest cartel in terms on geographic
reach
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Based in Laredo, Nuevo Leon

Areas of influence include Veracruz, Chihuahua and
Oaxaca
Sinaloa Cartel

Operates 16 states while Los Zetas operate 17, but they
still remain more powerful because they have been
around longer
Drug Cartels
Drug Routes
Latin America

Latin America is a crucial geographic zone for drug
trafficking

The world’s main cocaine producers are:

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Colombia (accounts 45% of cocaine production)
Peru (accounts for 35-40% of cocaine production)
Bolivia (accounts for 15-20% of cocaine production)
The principal corridors for transporting drugs to the
United States and Europe
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Central America
Mexico
The Caribbean
2010 Global Homicides
•The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC) made a first-ever
Global Study on Homicide
•This chart shows the number of homicides (count) and the rate of homicides per
100,000 people in the population of individual nations around the globe.
Honduras had the highest homicide rate at 82.1 per 100,000 inhabitants.
Country
Count
Rate
Belize
130
41.7
Costa Rica
527
11.3
El Salvador
4,085
66.0
Guatemala
5,960
41.4
Honduras
6,239
82.1
Nicaragua
766
13.2
Panama
759
21.6
Mexican Drug Trafficking

Mexican Drug Traffickers are estimated to be worth
$13 billion a year.

As much as 90% of all cocaine consumed in the U.S.
arrives from Mexico

Turf wars between regional cartels have led to
widespread violence in Mexico

Approximately 70,000 people have been killed in drugrelated violence since 2006
Solutions to the Violence

In efforts to take away the power from the huge drug
trafficking organizations, many activists have tried
convincing politicians to legalize drugs

Marijuana legalization efforts have gained
momentum across the Americas in recent years

In the US the states that have succeeded to pass the
law

Washington State

Colorado
Video

Ethan Nadelmann is the director of the Drug Policy
Alliance and in this video he discusses solutions to
the violence unleashed in Latin America as a result
of the drug war.

http://youtu.be/eSIC2oPiCP8
Uruguay

On August 1, 2013, a bill passed in Uruguay to fully
legalize the use of marijuana

Uruguay is close to being the first country to legalize
this drug

Under the legislation, Uruguay’s government would
license growers, sellers and consumers, and update
confidential registry to keep people from buying more
than 40 grams a month.

This law would allow citizens to grow up to six plants
in their home

Legal sales of marijuana would be restricted to
Uruguayan citizens in an effort to prevent drug tourism