U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

Antinarcotics Strategies and U.S. -- Latin American Relations (From Latin American Narcotics Trade and U.S. National Security, P 139-150, 1989, Donald J Mabry, ed. -- See NCJ-127031)

NCJ Number
127041
Author(s)
G F Treverton
Date Published
1989
Length
12 pages
Annotation
This analysis of the role of diplomacy related to drug policy in the context of United States and Latin American foreign policy and national security concerns emphasizes the differences in American and Latin American perspectives on the problem and recommends that the United States reevaluate its current policies.
Abstract
The social consequences of drug abuse are the main focus in the United States, while drug-related crime and corruption are the greatest problems in Latin American countries. Those making future policy should recognize that law enforcement efforts will have little effect on narcotics supplies in the United States. Therefore, the emphasis in United States antidrug strategies should shift toward demand reduction. The politics of the American "war on drugs" makes a major shift unlikely, although recent policy is placing greater emphasis on demand. Although much of the pressure the United States now puts on Latin America regarding enforcement and supply reduction is unnecessary and even counterproductive, the pressure is likely to continue. Thus, efforts are recommended to evaluate and possibly revise current policies and to recognize that Latin America experiences most of the violence and corruption resulting from these policies.

Downloads

No download available

Availability