The issues caused by the war on drugs and the U.S. hegemony over the area have created a widespread desire for new alternatives for dealing with narcotic production, distribution, and consumption. Increasingly, Latin American countries are decriminalizing personal drug use, and in a few cases, even legalizing certain drugs. Argentina, for example, decriminalized personal possession of drugs in 2009, and other countries like Mexico, Brazil, Ecuador, Colombia, and Bolivia, among others, have taken similar actions (Youngers, Walsh)(Llana). Uruguay has been the pioneer of legalization, with an effort that began from the top-down and that created a comprehensive policy for marihuana (Cruz 309). It has become a model for other Latin American nations,
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It may lead to “legal market regulation, reform of the UN drug convention, and smarter policing” (Villagran). Some countries have also used practical solutions. For example, former Bogota mayor created centers for addiction that use confiscated narcotics to treat drug addicts (Crandall 232). Other strategies include “developing alternatives to incarceration for low-level offenders” (Youngers, Schaffer 36). Some countries have gone even further in challenging international drug policies, like Bolivia, which in 2011 legalized coca cultivation for licit uses (Youngers, Schaffer 36). Up to date, drug policies seem to be heading towards liberal standards, especially now that certain U.S. states have legalized recreational use of marihuana, which diminishes the U.S. moral authority to command other nations to make drugs illegal. Confronted with a strong wave of drug liberalization in Latin America, the U.S. seems to have had little response, mostly keeping quiet (Youngers, …show more content…
to one of equals rather than inferiors. As Noam Chomsky argues, “for the first time in 500 years Latin America has begun to free itself from imperial domination,” and the U.S. is no longer in a position to run Latin America (Chomsky). There seems to be a recurrent anti-American sentiment, with certain exceptions like Colombia, which remains one of the U.S.’s strongest allies in South America (Chomsky)(Rosen 140), likely because of the billions it has received in aid from the U.S. under Plan Colombia. However, even Colombia is shifting towards alternative ways to treat the drug “threat.” In May of 2015 the Colombian government took the decision to stop aerial spraying of coca plantations (Neuman, Romero), a highly symbolic decision, as for the last decades Colombia has stuck to aerial spraying despite little evidence of its effectiveness (Roehr 23). The U.S. government had objections at first, “but once it was clear that Colombia would go its own way, Washington’s response was relatively muted, with American officials offering their public support” (Neuman, Romero), which is not surprising since the rates of cocaine consumption have dropped by “40% from 1999 to 2009” (Rosen 3). This may be shifting U.S.’s interests to other areas of increasing concern, like substance abuse leaning towards prescription drugs, and less towards the use of drugs like cocaine
It may lead to “legal market regulation, reform of the UN drug convention, and smarter policing” (Villagran). Some countries have also used practical solutions. For example, former Bogota mayor created centers for addiction that use confiscated narcotics to treat drug addicts (Crandall 232). Other strategies include “developing alternatives to incarceration for low-level offenders” (Youngers, Schaffer 36). Some countries have gone even further in challenging international drug policies, like Bolivia, which in 2011 legalized coca cultivation for licit uses (Youngers, Schaffer 36). Up to date, drug policies seem to be heading towards liberal standards, especially now that certain U.S. states have legalized recreational use of marihuana, which diminishes the U.S. moral authority to command other nations to make drugs illegal. Confronted with a strong wave of drug liberalization in Latin America, the U.S. seems to have had little response, mostly keeping quiet (Youngers, …show more content…
to one of equals rather than inferiors. As Noam Chomsky argues, “for the first time in 500 years Latin America has begun to free itself from imperial domination,” and the U.S. is no longer in a position to run Latin America (Chomsky). There seems to be a recurrent anti-American sentiment, with certain exceptions like Colombia, which remains one of the U.S.’s strongest allies in South America (Chomsky)(Rosen 140), likely because of the billions it has received in aid from the U.S. under Plan Colombia. However, even Colombia is shifting towards alternative ways to treat the drug “threat.” In May of 2015 the Colombian government took the decision to stop aerial spraying of coca plantations (Neuman, Romero), a highly symbolic decision, as for the last decades Colombia has stuck to aerial spraying despite little evidence of its effectiveness (Roehr 23). The U.S. government had objections at first, “but once it was clear that Colombia would go its own way, Washington’s response was relatively muted, with American officials offering their public support” (Neuman, Romero), which is not surprising since the rates of cocaine consumption have dropped by “40% from 1999 to 2009” (Rosen 3). This may be shifting U.S.’s interests to other areas of increasing concern, like substance abuse leaning towards prescription drugs, and less towards the use of drugs like cocaine