drug war Archives - Page 6 of 18 - Foreign Policy In Focus

Playing the Spoiler in Colombia

by James C. Jones | Jun 18, 2012

When Barack Obama entered office in 2009, many Latin America specialists reveled in the prospect that U.S. policy would reform its Cold War approach to a region that is a major source of foreign oil, illegal immigration, and illicit narcotics. The United States would at last recognize and address the complex political and economic dynamics of a region still struggling with its colonial legacy, and where one-third of people still endure often extreme poverty.

Violence, Human Rights Abuses, and Corruption Exploded After Mexico’s Military Entered the Drug War

by Michael Busch | Jun 14, 2012

Mexico’s military is crumbling under the weight of corruption.

Honduras Coup Delivering a Bloody Return on Washington’s Military Investment

by Michael Busch | May 25, 2012

The United States has significantly scaled up its military presence in Honduras in recent months.

Foreign Policy Magazine Analyst Stokes Fears About Mexican-style Drug War in Venezuela

by Michael Busch | May 18, 2012

Foreign Policy magazine publishes fear-mongering accusations that Venezuela is becoming a narco-state.

Drug-Law Reform Genie Freed From Bottle at Summit of the Americas

by Coletta Youngers | Apr 18, 2012

The legacy of the Cartagena summit, however, will likely be the beginning of a serious regional debate on international drug control policies.

Honduras: When Engagement Becomes Complicity

by Laura Carlsen | Mar 15, 2012

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden traveled to Honduras on March 6 with a double mission: to quell talk of drug legalization and reinforce the U.S.-sponsored drug war in Central America, and to bolster the presidency of Porfirio Lobo.

The Honduran government issued a statement that during the one-hour closed-door conversation between Biden and Lobo, the vice president “reiterated the U.S. commitment to intensify aid to the government and people of Honduras, and exalted the efforts undertaken and implemented over the past two years by President Lobo.”

The Drug War’s Invisible Victims

by Laura Carlsen | Jan 27, 2012

There are many kinds of war. The classic image of a uniformed soldier kissing mom good-bye to risk his life on the battlefield has changed dramatically. In today’s wars, it’s more likely that mom will be the one killed.

UNIFEM states that by the mid-1990s, 90% of war casualties were civilians– mostly women and children.

Democratic Speed Bumps in Latin America

by Taylor Dibbert | Dec 9, 2011

After a decade of growing popularity, democracy has hit a slump in Latin America. A recent Latinobarómetro poll cited by The Economist in late October underscores this point. In all but three Latin American countries, fewer people than last year believe that democracy is preferable to any other type of government. In the cases of Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico, the drop in support for democracy is significant.

A Way Out of Mexico’s Morass

by Tania Arroyo | Oct 26, 2011

Rethinking Mexico’s relationship with the United States is an urgent priority, according to leading Mexican politician Andrés Manuel López Obrador. It “is more effective and humane to implement cooperation in order to reach development, rather than insisting on giving priority to police and military cooperation, as we do now,” Obrador said recently in Washington.

Drug War: Faster and More Furious

by Tania Arroyo | Sep 27, 2011

In early September, Mexican authorities arrested a U.S. citizen, Jean Batiste Kingery, for smuggling grenades across the border for the Sinaloa cartel. Astonishingly, U.S. agents had released Kingery a year before when he was captured for the same offense. U.S. law enforcement officials reportedly wanted to use him in a sting operation.