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1) THREAD: The War on Drugs Has Been a Dismal Failure; What's Next?
In CO, 15,000 ppl were killed in a 20-year war against cartels, while the conflict in MEX caused more than 120,000 deaths and disappearances since 2006. Drug addiction rates in the U.S. have remained the same
In CO, 15,000 ppl were killed in a 20-year war against cartels, while the conflict in MEX caused more than 120,000 deaths and disappearances since 2006. Drug addiction rates in the U.S. have remained the same
2) In the case of the coca plant, government policies have barely managed to reduce areas of land in which the crop is cultivated, and technological advances have enabled a greater level of production per hectare https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/latin-america-war-on-drugs-colombia-coca-honduras-donald-trump-a8744266.html
3) illegal cocaine sales top $88 BILLION dollars annually, and most of that money goes towards destabilizing Latin America as criminal groups acquire both arms, politicians in their pockets, and even entire Governments (VZ)
Thats more money than the top 10 US Corporations...
Thats more money than the top 10 US Corporations...
4) And the US us by FAR the biggest customer for Cocaine in the world. That is to say, prohibition has not only failed, it has turned a plant very easy to grow into a global resource, which in turn has created horrible violence and destabilization in LATAM.
5) Some scholars have called the U.S War on Drugs "Neo-Colonialism", and since the 70's the U.S has largely insisted the rest of the world enforce it's policies on illicit drugs. US spends 51 billion on anti-drug efforts annually
And the only result has been deaths and arrests
And the only result has been deaths and arrests
6) Meanwhile in Buenaventura, Colombia (biggest coke port in CO) war rages on the streets and countryside
"Things got much worse when the US arrived. FARC came out of the jungle and into the city" said Darwin, a social leader from the region
"Things got much worse when the US arrived. FARC came out of the jungle and into the city" said Darwin, a social leader from the region
7) This WOD also directly increases the profits of narco-states like VZ who have institutionalized coke smuggling into a Federal Business
That is to say that the WOD directly helps dictators in LATAM by increasing the value of cocaine through prohibition https://www.insightcrime.org/venezuela-organized-crime-news/cartel-de-los-soles-profile/
That is to say that the WOD directly helps dictators in LATAM by increasing the value of cocaine through prohibition https://www.insightcrime.org/venezuela-organized-crime-news/cartel-de-los-soles-profile/
6) In short, Despite 50 years of the War on Drugs; drug addiction remains the same in the US and cocaine production has only increased. All of this at the cost of millions of deaths, failed states, rampant corruption and the American prison system being the largest in the World
7) Solution? Cocaine production skyrocketed in direct paralell with the War on Drugs. Infrastructure investments would be a great help, but as long as someone can earn 4-5 years equivalent salary by one smuggling trip- the trade will continue 
MEX protests
MEX protests
8) Legalization and Regulation in the US would cut the global market for coke by 44 billion/year, and save US 51 billion. Those BILLIONS of dollars would be taken out of the pockets of the criminal groups destabilizing LATAM
9) As long as US continues buying, they are destroying their neighbors, encouraging the empowerment of cartels, and imprisoning millions...
It's a no-brainer. There is literally not a single positive effect of the WOD, and much destruction.
It's a no-brainer. There is literally not a single positive effect of the WOD, and much destruction.
And its not just Colombia and VZ https://twitter.com/InSightCrime/status/1174805126638444545?s=19
