Medellín Cartel

In our class of the History of Latin America, we watched the film Cocaine Unwrapped, which was able to provide an understanding of Venezuela’s wraith thiss drug. Being more curious about this topic, I was able to find a documentary series, Narcos, which gives the battle of cocaine in the neighboring state. Both of these states had been having a long, hurtful battle with cocaine. Two different sides of the war on narcotics that affected every citizen of the cities and towns in multiple ways.…

the Merida Initiative, which provides the Mexican government with US security forces along with high-end military equipment, ranging from helicopters to surveillance technology (Quinones, 2009; 18). However, even with aid provided by the US, the cartels still outgunned the Mexican Army—a response to Calderon’s war with extreme savagery. “The problem isn’t individuals; it’s systematic” (Quinones, 2009; 18). The Mexican government failed in its…

The terms “War on drugs” was coined by U.S President Richard Nixon on June 18, 1971 to refer to the campaign for the prohibition of drugs, military intervention and military aid all aimed at not only defining but also reducing the trade of illegal drugs. The initiative has for decades included setting drug policies intended to discourage the production, he distribution as well as the consumption of drugs of what the United Nations and participating government’s term as psychoactive drugs. The…

the addict, but for the future of America. Certainly, the money invested in the current drug enforcement policies, do not indicate an acceptable return on results or a clear path for resolution. As a result; escalating prison populations, swelling cartel profits, and civil liberty violations dominate urban landscapes. Undoubtedly, any dialogue centering on legalization, must include healthcare reforms and positive social engagement for youth Political scare tactics, skyrocketed non-violent…

Donald Trump said, “I will build a great, great wall on our southern border, and I will make Mexico pay for that wall. Mark my words.” (Trump, 2015) Well to a large group of people this idea seems simply impractical to many people in this day and age, especially due to the size Trump claims that his wall will be. Trump states that the wall will be somewhere between 30 and 50 feet high, and this number will be set by the size of the precast planks being used to build this wall. (Bump par.5) These…

Legalization of Marijuana With so many controversial topics in the world today, to determine who is right and who is wrong in the case of marijuana; Sometimes it’s just too hard to say what should be legal and what should not be legal. For example, the legalization of marijuana. This can be a touchy subject, and some have very strong views. I believe that the United States should legalize marijuana. By just decriminalizing it, as states recently such as California, Nevada, Maine, and…

winning the War on Drugs? Most opinions are split 50/50 on this question. One thing is for certain, Mexico is the biggest exporter of drugs into the United States. This epidemic has created wide-spread problems for both countries; the Mexican drug cartel has crippled their country with violence and political corruption and it has affected the United States in a social-economic way. First, let me give some reasons and history around the U.S./Mexican “Drug War”. The two major reasons…

Drugs have a huge impact on international and domestic crime. Regarding the article “Drug trafficking and organized crime: connected but different”, “Drug trafficking has been the origin and is still the main source of income for many of the criminal organizations operating in the region” (Calderon). Selling drugs is way more than just finding a customer and taking payment. It’s controlling territories that have been marked already, and sabotaging others and taking it as your own. This causes…

In the article “Why Mexico’s Drug War is Unwinnable,” Laura Carlsen asserts that irrespective of the method of evaluation; be it better public safety, stifled supply of illegal drug to the US market or the crippling of drug cartels, the drug war is falling. According to Carlsen, within four years of the militarization of the streets of Mexico by President Felipe Calderon to curb the drug trade, over 37,000 drug-related homicides were recorded in addition to thousands of human rights abuse…

Living as a semi-nomadic community can often mean that your closest neighbor could be over ten miles away. With that said, one false step or one twist of an ankle could leave you exposed to the cold or leave you in sight of the barbaric drug cartels. They truly are an example of self reliance. Free thought could many things, depending on who you ask. Regardless, there is no denying that the Tarahumaran embody it. For hundreds of years, human behavior has heavily been dictated by the gold…