Review of literature on illegal drugs in the region
Review of literature on illegal drugs in the region
Authors: Tatiana Martínez, Edgar Castro Méndez
This document presents a summary of academic research papers on illegal drugs. All papers were published in 2018 and each one falls into one of three categories: production, trading, and consumption of illegal drugs. Descriptions and other related articles can be found in the appendix.
First, we present papers related to drug production: studies on the presence of coca crops and alkaloid processing laboratories. Colombia is perhaps the best studied country in this area. This section also reviews...
Culture, Citizen Security, and Football
Culture, Citizen Security, and Football
Authors: Juan Pablo Castilla, Ana Arjona
What conversation topics do you think would lead to a fight with your best friend? In Latin American society, the third most recurring motive of social violence is football (Latinobarómetro 2017). The 328 deaths from football related violence in Argentina since 1992 (Salvemosalfutbol 2018) is just the tip of the iceberg. Football related violence1 in Latin America is not limited to homicides and quarrels, it is imperative to consider their role in naturalizing violence in Latin American societies.
With some exceptions,...
Is forced erradication of coca crops effective?
Is forced erradication of coca crops effective?
Authors: Tatiana Martínez, Edgar Castro
In Colombia, several attempts have been made to control coca leaf production through aerial eradication, manual eradication, and voluntary crop substitution. Available results from areas throughout the country suggest that these measures have not been successful and have instead had negative effects on the population. Rigorous studies on the effectiveness of anti-drug policies indicate that measures that attack the strongest links in the value chain of the drug trade, such as seizures, have better results...
Organized Crime and Drug Markets
Organized Crime and Drug Markets
Authors: Juan Pablo Castilla, Ana Arjona
This Thematic Document summarizes contributions from academic research published in Latin America during 2018 on public policy that addresses organized crime related to drug trafficking. These publications call for rethinking state interventions focused on the use of force that can result in human rights violations. Evidence shows that the most effective policies to reduce violence in the fight against organized crime are those that frame the use of legal force within social programs. It is therefore urgent that we better...
Economía y seguridad en el posconflicto
Economía y seguridad en el posconflicto
Hernando Zuleta (Compilador)
La implementación de los acuerdos de La Habana puede reducir sustancialmente los problemas de seguridad e impulsar el desarrollo económico. No obstante, este proceso enfrenta una serie de retos: impedir que grupos armados al margen de la ley ocupen los espacios que dejaron las FARC, enfrentar y neutralizar la oposición armada a la sustitución de cultivos, enfrentar el reacomodo de estructuras criminales y la sofisticación de los métodos criminales en las zonas urbanas y capitalizar la reducción de la violencia para acelerar...