Anna Emanuelsson, Relaciones Internacionales en Universidad de las Americas Puebla.
Though Mexico is a country in development of becoming a full blood democracy, it still lacks of some fundamental human rights and has a considerable part of its population in poverty. The poverty provides the basis of the organized crime, and makes out one important piece of the mexican drug war jigsaw. After the transnational economical crisis, the unemployment rates of Mexico has risen. Many mexicans have found themselves in this shattered economy with few possibilities of changing their lives to the better, for example, mexican women in the northern cities of Mexico has been widowed in the violence and are increasingly drawn in to the organized crime as a way to support their families. Criminal activities such as drug trafficking and kidnapping has become one of few options for a large number of people in similar situations all over Mexico.
But the somewhat underdeveloped mexican society is not the main reason to this bloody combat in the streets of the northern cities. The most important factor is the possibility to earn extreme amounts of money from exploiting the constantly expanding demand of narcotic substances in the United States. Though most narcotic substances are prohibited in the United States, the demand for such substances is huge. The prohibitions has not had an effect on the drug abuse of american citizens, but nurtures an illegal market of narcotics across national boarders.
What could possible put an end to one of the worst transnational security issues of our time? It is important to be a pragmatic, something politics during election time rarely is (Barack Obama and Felipe Calderon are both facing national elections year 2012). It makes sense to forbid things that are bad for society, but when the prohibition makes society worse it is time to think again. Ideology has its beauty, but in this case such as many others, the real world won’t cooperate with utopian ideas. Maybe it is time to really think about what would stop the money flow – what would really stop the demand of narcotics in the western hemisphere? Could it be as easy as legalizing all drugs in both the United States and in Mexico? Probably not, but it might be a start of a solution to this transnational issue
The illegal drug trafficking across the american continents may be considered one of he most worrying transnational processes of our time. Compared to the famous transnational issue of terrorism, the drug trafficking affects so many more aspects of the societies in Latin America as well as in other continents. As a result of the illegal production, transport, trade and use of narcotics, Mexico is now at war with itself with a figure around 40 000 casualties. So what are the reasons for the mexican drug war? Why does the drug cartels want to combat their own government?
Though Mexico is a country in development of becoming a full blood democracy, it still lacks of some fundamental human rights and has a considerable part of its population in poverty. The poverty provides the basis of the organized crime, and makes out one important piece of the mexican drug war jigsaw. After the transnational economical crisis, the unemployment rates of Mexico has risen. Many mexicans have found themselves in this shattered economy with few possibilities of changing their lives to the better, for example, mexican women in the northern cities of Mexico has been widowed in the violence and are increasingly drawn in to the organized crime as a way to support their families. Criminal activities such as drug trafficking and kidnapping has become one of few options for a large number of people in similar situations all over Mexico.
But the somewhat underdeveloped mexican society is not the main reason to this bloody combat in the streets of the northern cities. The most important factor is the possibility to earn extreme amounts of money from exploiting the constantly expanding demand of narcotic substances in the United States. Though most narcotic substances are prohibited in the United States, the demand for such substances is huge. The prohibitions has not had an effect on the drug abuse of american citizens, but nurtures an illegal market of narcotics across national boarders.
What could possible put an end to one of the worst transnational security issues of our time? It is important to be a pragmatic, something politics during election time rarely is (Barack Obama and Felipe Calderon are both facing national elections year 2012). It makes sense to forbid things that are bad for society, but when the prohibition makes society worse it is time to think again. Ideology has its beauty, but in this case such as many others, the real world won’t cooperate with utopian ideas. Maybe it is time to really think about what would stop the money flow – what would really stop the demand of narcotics in the western hemisphere? Could it be as easy as legalizing all drugs in both the United States and in Mexico? Probably not, but it might be a start of a solution to this transnational issue
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