New Hundred Years War?: U.S. National Security and the War on Drugs in Latin America (From Latin American Narcotics Trade and U.S. National Security, P 43-58, 1989, Donald J Mabry, ed. -- See NCJ-127031)

• NCJ Number: 127035
• Author(s): B M Bagley
• Date Published: 1989
• Length: 16 pages
• Sale Source: Greenwood Publishing Group
• Publication Type: Legislation/Policy Analysis
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This analysis of the current status and future prospects of the United States "war on drugs" in Latin America concludes that any real success depends on reducing demand and that using less rhetoric and more diplomacy might permit more cooperation between the United States and the Latin American countries from which active support is most needed.

Abstract

Since the early 1980's, the control of drug trafficking became more important than immigration, foreign debt, and communist expansion in Central America as priority issues in relations between the United States and Latin America. However, the increases in resources, staffing, drug seizures and arrests have not succeeded in solving the problem. Problems include inadequate resources, lack of coordination and leadership, clashes of interest, and policy priorities. In addition, American drug diplomacy has achieved little besides raising levels of friction in United States relations with Latin America. Desirable policy changes would include establishing more realistic objectives and standards for American antidrug programs and planning for changes in the types of drugs used most heavily. However, prospects for resolving the drug problem are doubtful. Discussion of 1988 Federal drug law