International Monterrey Model United Nations Simulation American School Foundation of Monterrey Organization of American States
Topic: ​
Human rights abuses in the fight against drug cartels in the Central American strip
Director:​
Cristina Patiño
Moderator:​
Richard Husemann
I. Committee Background
th​
Established on April 30​
, 1948, the Organization of American States works to establish
peace and justice in the nations of the Western Hemisphere, as well as to promote solidarity and
collaboration among them and defend their sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence,
as stipulated in the first chapter of its Charter. The OAS grew out of an international
organization previously established by the United States for the Western Hemisphere, the
Pan-American Union. Starting in 1889, the Pan-American Union engaged in a series of meetings
known as the Pan-American Conferences, which lead to the the foundation of the OAS and the
signing of its Charter at the conclusion of the Ninth Conference, held in the city of Bogotá,
Colombia. The new organization was originally meant to function as a forum for international
cooperation and security among Latin American countries and the United States after the
beginning of the Cold War. By the 1990’s, the newly independent Caribbean nations and Canada
became members, and the organization’s focus shifted more towards the encouragement of
democracy in member states.
Like the United Nations, the Organization of American States is administered by a
General Secretariat, directed by a Secretary General who is elected every five years. Its main
policy-making body is the General Assembly, which hosts the foreign ministers and chiefs of
state of each of the 35 independent nations of the Western Hemisphere on an annual basis. The
General Assembly also controls the organization’s budget and oversees additional specialized
organs. When the General Assembly is not convening, the regular work of the organization is
carried out by the Permanent Council, which, as the name suggests, is composed of elected
permanent representatives from each nation to the OAS. Even though the OAS was committed
to fulfilling the United Nation’s regional goals in the 1940’s, the organization’s resolutions are
not subject to approval by the United Nations or any other international body. Any resolution
that passes by a simple majority is considered to be final and non-binding.
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Description and Definition of the Topic
Human rights are defined as the privileges that every human being is born with –
regardless of nationality, sex, ethnic origin, religion, or language. These were first established by
the UN in the 1948 Declaration of Human Rights, which consists of thirty articles that describe
the property, education, and social security rights, among others. Although these rights are
universal and inalienable, the rights of individuals are still abused globally.
One area of particular concern is Central America, where the presence of drug cartels, or
drug trade organizations (DTOs) has been the catalyst for multiple human rights abuses. (UN,
n.d.).
A drug cartel is a criminal organization that trafficks illegal substances. Most cartels
organize themselves in hierarchical order divided into 4 groups: the falcons are in the lowest
rank and are responsible for looking out for police and rival groups; the hitmen are those who
execute kidnappings, assassinations and violent crimes; the lieutenants supervise falcons and
hitmen, and they also defend their own territory; and drug lords are in the highest rank and are
in charge of organizing all criminal activity and directing all drug transactions.
The illegal activities of these organizations are of direct concern to the Human Rights
Council. DTOs have been known to utilize child labor, prostitution, torture, kidnapping and
executions to achieve their goals. In the struggle to fight them, governments have also
disregarded basic human liberties and dignities – especially when untrained, and under-paid
militaries come into play. (Drug Cartels, 2015)
The Problem
DTOs in the Latin American region usually use the Central American strip and Mexico to
traffick substances such as cocaine and methamphetamines to the American and Canadian
markets in the north. Drug activity often leads to sociopolitical turmoil and violence. Drug
cartels usually impose control over civilian communities, especially in rural areas, often
extorting and killing to protect their trade routes. It is important to recognize that part of the
reason drug cartels are able to assert such powerful influence is because of the lack of
governmental stability in the region. Drug cartels take advantage of economically and politically
isolated communities to expand their workforce.
A second problem arises within the struggle against drug cartels; various Latin American
governments are, or have, engaged in what is known as a “War on Drugs”. Often encouraged by
the government of the United States, Latin American governments move against the influence
and trade of drug cartels in their territories, wishing to rid their country of the illicit trade and
harmful organization. However, most DTOs have proven to be formidable opposers – the
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campaigns with intense violence of their own, usually targeting citizens in terror campaigns to
bring out a menacing threat.
Just as is the case with the Mexican and Colombian drug wars, the national military and
navy become involved in the struggle. Often times, these forces are underpaid and not
adequately trained to operate in civilian areas or within humanitarian law. There is a distinct
difference between operating in a war-zone, under martial law, and operating in cities and
communities. Thus, soldiers engaging against drug cartels are also prone to commit human
rights violations such as torture and unjustified murder. Consequently, Latin American citizens
are caught in the crossfire between DTOs and government forces. To add on, governments are
often negligent in investigating these human right violations, especially when they originate
from their own forces and command. This is due to a variety of reasons, but the major one can
be attributed to general political instability and corruption. When discussing this issue, the
committee must remember that it is multi-faceted in nature; economic and political isolation
leads to civilian vulnerability in the hands of drug cartels, socio-economic factors within
national militaries lead to inexperienced soldiers combatting in civilian held areas with little
regard to human rights, and governmental corruption leads to impunity and makes fighting
cartels even harder due to government-cartel alliances. Above all, though, the committee should
keep in mind that a drug war, although fought in national territory, often in civilian populated
areas, is an armed conflict. (UNODC, 2015)
III. History of the Topic
Chronological History of the Topic
Illicit drug trade within the Latin American region has been present since the late 1800’s,
but it wasn’t until the mid 1900’s that it intensified to a surprising level. Following the end of
World War II, and the rise of supranational organizations such as the UN, the global
community, lead partly by the United States, began a constituted ban on drugs. In 1948, the
newly-formed United Nations commenced a campaign to ban the Andean Coca bush. With the
global attitude on drugs shifting to absolute prohibition, smuggling markets in Latin America
grew. Before this, most smuggling had been small scale and individual based, but now the
prohibitionist attitude gave rise to more complex organizations. Soon after, a network between
Lima, Havana and New York was established.
In 1952, Bolivian cartels emerged as powerful forces in the narcotics market. Following
the country’s revolution, the nation was left in ravages, and a power-vacuum allowed for the
easy rise of DTO influence in the region. Meanwhile, Havana became a drug trade hotspot,
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and deals. This trade was disrupted by the 1950s Cuban revolution, which forced drug lords to
find other corridors; notably Mexico and Argentina.
The 1960’s saw a rise in the recreational use of drugs, which transformed the illicit
market. With the significant increase of demand for drugs, especially in the US and Canada,
drug cartels increased the production and transportation of these illegal substances; thus, the
influence of drug trafficking in the Central American strip expanded drastically. Due to Central
America’s ideal climatic conditions for drug harvesting, cartels took advantage of these areas in
order to expand their production and trade.
In 1971, in reaction to the growing drug-trade within Mexico and Colombia, the US
began a “War on Drugs”. Which soon became region-wide and a catalyst for extreme violence. In
1975, under the encouragement of the US, Mexico began a crackdown on the production of
opium and marijuana. (Erin, 2014; Hyland, 2011)
The Mexican and American crackdown on marijuana production gave way to the rise of
Colombian cartels. During the 1970’s, large amounts of Colombian entrepreneurs developed
small businesses focused on the exportation of minute and undetectable amounts of narcotics.
Several poor and rural communities were the main producers of these illegal substances. The
great amount of drug exportation caused conflict between Colombian communities, which
resulted in guerrilla conflict that devastated thousands of people in the nation. (Eril, 2014)
Meanwhile, the cocaine market followed similar patterns to the marijuana one. As
political instability in Chile arose, the country became an important corridor, especially when
Bolivia and Peru took explicit action against the trade. Trade in Chile grew until the 1973
Pinochet coup, which overthrew the democratic government of Allende. (Hyland, 2011)
Following Chile’s market collapse, Colombian cartels once again rose to prominence. The
influence of cocaine exportation allowed for the growth of these criminal organizations in the
1980s, thus replacing the once inept small organizations. In order to decrease guerrilla power in
the area, several of the largest cocaine producers invested in paramilitary groups, which
protected them from being captured by enemy forces and helped spread their influence.
However, drug cartels soon lost their power in Colombia, as the large amount of fighting in the
country caused the government to take action against them in what is known as the Colombian
war on drugs. (Eril, 2014; Hyland, 2011)
Amongst the earliest drug trafficking organizations in the 1980s, the Guadalajara cartel,
lead by Miguel Angel Félix Gallardo, established connections in Mexico that enabled them to
control its drug trafficking route. As opposed to the Colombian cartels, this cartel, like many
other Mexican drug trafficking organizations, only transported, rather than produced illegal
drugs. Also unlike the situation in Colombia, Félix Gallardo maneuvered Mexican diplomacy
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1989, Félix Guajardo was apprehended by Mexican forces, resulting in a much more delicate
arrangement between Colombian and Mexican drug organizations, which later on enabled
Mexican drug lords to produce their own cocaine. Additionally, the fact that the greatest demand
for drugs was located across the Mexican-American border, resulted in a rise of power of these
organizations throughout Mexico during the 1990’s. (Eril, 2014)
Easily corrupt government officials, ideal climatic and geographic conditions, and a large
demand for illegal drugs in the United States, allowed drug cartels in Mexico to prosper. The
violence originating from drug cartels in Mexico is present to this day, and human rights
continue to be abused. The involvement of drug cartels in countries other than Mexico and
Colombia began in late 1980s, and has risen exponentially since. Most vulnerable are the poor
communities where drug cartel influence is high. However, recent movements, such a the one
for the medical legalization of marijuana, may bring either positive or negative shifts to the
situation. (Eril, 2014)
As the history of the topic indicates, the drug market is very susceptible to the political
ambient within the country. When a country enters a time of turmoil, such as Bolivia did in the
1950s or Chile in the 1970s, DTOs are able to solidify their influence. And so, DTOs become a
politically based issue as well.
Historical Case Studies
The Mexican Drug War
Affected by the ever increasing violence surrounding drug cartels, Mexico has had great
difficulties surpassing the economic consequences of drug trafficking. In Juarez, one of the most
dangerous areas in Mexico, over 2 thousands murders took place in 2008. Additionally, since
2006, Acapulco reported more than 700 killings also related to drug trafficking. The ongoing
violence in Mexico has led people to abandon or relocate their Mexican businesses overseas.
Cartel kidnappings and extortions have caused great fear amongst entrepreneurs and foreign
investors, stifling economic progress. Often times, owners of small businesses are charged a
small quota by the drug trafficking groups, in exchange for securing their safety. Drug cartels
have made the task of maintaining a small business far more difficult by spreading terror
amongst Mexican citizens and depriving them from the safety they need. (Vainauskas, 2015)
President Felipe Calderón militarized the Mexican drug war in 2006. In the following
seven years, Mexico, particularly the North and South, saw a drastic wave of drug-related
violence. The death toll has been declared to have surpassed that of the Afghanistan and Iraq
conflicts; around 164,000 civilians have been the victims of drug-related homicide. The problem
is that the Mexican government has been unable to adequately deal with human right violations
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painted as drug cartel associates. More importantly, Mexican security forces, including police
and military, have been participant in human right violations against civilians. The Mexican
military has a long history of impunity and abuse, considering that many of its members come
from dire socio-economic situations and are not adequately prepared to deal with a conflict in
civilian areas. To add on, the Mexican police force, both at the federal and local levels, is
underpaid and understaffed. On many occasions, Mexican policemen were known to be allied
with the drug cartels, who promised them better wages and protection. Civilians have reported
that Mexican security forces have used torture to obtain information about drug cartels, and
have also engaged in forced disappearances and extrajudicial killings. The problem is further
complicated by the fact that the Mexican government, due to high amounts of corruption and
general instability, is unable to properly investigate these crimes.
Until 2014, the Mexican military operated under military jurisdiction, although they
were engaging in civilian ground. This means that soldiers were judged on trial as if they were in
war-time, where homicide could be found justifiable under certain circumstances. Thus, despite
the fact that the victims of these killings were not related to drug cartels, the perpetrators were
allowed to walk free. It was not until May 2014, that President Peña Nieto was able to pass a
reform that demanded that soldiers be judged on civil jurisdiction, the law-code used for
civilians in civilian populated areas. But, even then, human rights violations were difficult to
properly investigate, for, by that time, few citizens trusted the governmental justice system
enough to report them. In the past, reporting them had often been pointless, and even
dangerous. Calderon claims that 90% of the victims of drug war have been criminals, but this
data has been found to be faulty, considering that between 2007 and 2011, the Federal
Prosecutor's Office only investigated 997 deaths. The reality of the situation is that the Mexican
government is not able to control the violence, nor is it able to render accounts for it. Instead, it
has fallen upon media manipulation to paint murder victims as criminals, despite the fact that
many of them are not. (​
Human Rights Watch​
, 2011)
The Mexican drug war exemplifies the scope of the issue; both drug cartels and security
forces have been involved in violence and human rights violations, but it is the Mexican
government’s inability to properly investigate murders and abuses that worsens the situation.
The Colombian Drug War
Violence in Colombia has erupted as a result of the great demand for illegal drugs in the
United States. Colombian rival groups of drug cartels have gained great influence over the
country, especially in areas where the government has paid little attention to. Slums and other
poor areas are often the source of most workers who plant, grow, and harvest the illegal drugs
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great threats to national security and witnessed the greatest amounts of armed violence it had
ever experienced. After these drug cartels spread to other areas, conflict arose as a result of a
territorial dispute. Various drug cartels simultaneously attacked each other with the purpose of
intimidating the other group to drive them out of the area. The increase of violence permeated
most sectors of the country, especially slums, which worked most closely with drug cartels. Due
to the dramatic increase of armed conflict, many people left their hometown in search for a safer
place to reside in; they often chose the United States as their new home country. These refugees
suffer from unfortunate and deteriorating living conditions that are a direct result of drug cartel
influence in their country. (Vainauskas, 2014)
Similar to the situation in Mexico, the Colombian drug war poses a multi-faceted issue.
The drug cartels are primarily responsible for the violence, but the Colombian government is not
blameless, for they too engaged in human rights abuses and failed to hold accounts for them.
Uruguay’s Legalization of Marijuana
Uruguay has recently addressed one of the most controversial issues present today: the
legalization of marijuana. Conflicts regarding territory, profit, and sales have been present in
most of Uruguay’s history, especially those that revolve around the gr0wth and distribution of
illegal drugs. The favorable climate conditions of Uruguay make it one of the best places where
narcotics, amongst other substances, can be cultivated. Unfortunately, this has brought serious
consequences to Uruguay. Violence arose when the demand for drugs in northern countries
increased; drug cartels were able to gain influence across the country, and thus gained a
substantial amount of power.
Uruguay faced a serious issue in which the violation of human rights was imminent. The
governmental response to the series of consequences that resulted from the drug war, was the
full legalization of the plantation and usage of marijuana. By taking away the key profit source of
most drug cartels, the Uruguayan government was able to substantially weaken their influence
in the country. However, drug cartels, in response, began focusing on the growth and
distribution of drugs known to cause serious health side effects. In addition, there was a
reported rise in kidnappings and extortions. However, overall national security improved greatly
with the legalization of this drug. (Winslow, 2015)
Uruguay’s situation poses an important question for the rest of the region: will
legalization decrease drug-related violence? And are countries ready to assume the
responsibilities this entails? Many have argued against legalization because they believe
governments will be unable to deal with the public-health consequences, and that drug cartels
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and should be considered.
Past UN Actions
The UN first took the matter in their hands in 1998, when the General Assembly agreed
upon the Political Declaration on Global Drug Control, which acknowledges the fact that drugs
affect the development of young adults and are a threat to the health and stability of humankind.
The UN thus demands the reduction of illicit crops and regulation of drug trafficking (General
A).
In 2009, the UN met in Vienna to adopt the Political Declaration of Action on
International Cooperation Towards an Integrated and Balanced Strategy to Counter the World
Drug Problem, which is a revised version of the Global Drug Control and consists of three main
responsibilities: measuring drug abuse and people’s dependency on drugs worldwide, calling for
drug reduction, and providing healthcare to those affected by drugs (The UN General).
The UN General Assembly 2015 Special Session on Drugs (UNGASS) started
negotiations in September with the purpose of acknowledging any achievements or progresses
implemented to stop the drug war and debating what future challenges will slow down the
process. During November, economic, political, social, and cultural strategies were debated
under the presidency of Sam Kutesa, who pointed out that it is of utmost importance to provide
healthcare to the innocent people threatened by the drug wars. The UNGASS draft takes a
different aim by adjusting their strategies to target civilians; it aligns policies that protect human
rights, guarantees public health, promotes UN agencies pursuing organized crime, and
decriminalizes consumption. The UN wants to adopt and fulfill the requirements of the
UNGASS by 2019 (War on Drugs).
The United Nations has also condemned various Latin American governments for their
failure to protect human rights in drug-related struggles. Most notably is Mexico’s
condemnation. Mexican activists have sent a request to the International Criminal Court to
place ex-President Felipe Calderón on trial for, as Military chief between 2006 and 2012, they
want to hold him accountable for the human rights violations committed by Mexican security
forces. It is unlikely that the appeal passes, but the UN has made multiple condemnations of the
Mexican government, the most recent one being the mishandling of the Ayotzinapa
disappearances case, in which Peña Nieto’s administration failed to properly investigate 43
missing students.
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Mexico
The Gulf Cartel is one of the oldest drug cartels, founded around the 1930s in Mexico
near the Tamaulipan/Texan border, and is currently led by Jose Tiburcio Hernández. Founded
originally by Juan Nepomuceno Guerra and Juan García Ábrego, the Gulf Cartel focuses on
trafficking cocaine and fighting their rivals, Los Zetas, who were once part of their Cartel (“Jose
Tiburcio”, 2015). Los Zetas were originally the armed forces of the Gulf Cartel, but in 1990 their
power and numbers increased too much that they, under the command of Omar Treviño
Morales, broke away and formed their own cartel. Since then, violent outbreaks have risen in
Tamaulipas between the Zeta and Gulf Cartels. The Gulf Cartel has gradually decreased in power
because the Zetas’ influence overpowered more than 50% of Mexican states (Sailor, 2015).
The most prominent drug cartel formed in Mexico was the Sinaloa Cartel in 1980, which
is led by Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzmán, who has spent the last two decades fleeing police forces,
including two prison breaks. The Sinaloa Cartel’s origin can be traced back to the farms, where it
worked; it later established strong connections with political figures to facilitate cocaine
transactions. Other Mexican cartels clash with each other in order to defeat and eradicate their
enemies. Most cartels fight one another neglecting the fact that innocent civilians are in harm’s
way (Myall, n.d.).
The Mexican government began a militarized approach to the cartel issue in 2006 under
the leadership of Felipe Calderon. Upon entering power, Enrique Peña Nieto moved to
de-militarize efforts with the goal of diminishing violence. Although some regions of the country
have seen a significant decrease in the violence, others, especially in the south, continue under
the control of DTOs. The Mexican government is committed to eradicating DTO influence in its
territory, but it has lacked the ability to do so while upholding human dignity.
United States
As the prime customer of the Sinaloa Cartel’s drugs, the USA has been involved with
Mexican cartels since their formation. A Drug War was declared in the USA in the 1960’s by
President Nixon claiming that drugs were a symbol of teenage rebellion and social misbehavior.
That declaration marks the time when drug control agencies gained more influence and
marijuana was placed in the most restrictive drug category: only legalizing an ounce for personal
use. (“Brief History”, 2015).
For the past 15 years, Mexico has trafficked drugs through the US border by whichever
means possible; the most abundant drugs being cocaine, heroin and meth. But since the
legalization of marijuana in some US states, the cartels have stopped planting and exporting
them because they find it impossible to compete with US pricing and quality. Cocaine planted
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increases to $27 thousand. (Winslow, 2015)
An investigation conducted in 2012 by the “El Universal” newspaper showed that the US
government had made a pact with the Sinaloa Cartel: the US would allow the cartel to smuggle
in drugs as along as the cartel provided them information of the locations of other Cartels.
Although this investigation may indicate an alliance between the United States and the Sinaloa
Cartel, it only means that there were regular connections between the Cartel and a government
lawyer working on the Sinaloa case (Kelly, 2014).
Colombia
Since the 1970’s, Colombia has been host to some of the most influential, sophisticated,
and violent drug cartels in history. The country’s geographical situation facilitates the
production of drugs like cocaine, marijuana, and paste, which is why the trafficking of illegal
drugs became a billion dollar industry back in the 70’s and 80’s. Like any other business, drug
cartels began as small groups, but with cartels like the Medellín Cartel and the Cali Cartel the
drug-trafficking business expanded. These cartels, among others, had enough profit to buy
high-technology military equipment that facilitated the movement of drugs across borders. The
top ranks of Colombian drug cartels included expert drug traffickers like Gonzalo Rodríguez
Gacha, the Ochoa Brothers, Carlos Lehder, Helmer Herrera, and the prominent leader of the
Medellin Cartel, Pablo Emilio Escobar (“The Colombian Cartels”, 2014).
The drug war suffered in Colombia is one of the most important in drug trafficking
history. The country endured many attacks, including bombings in public places, kidnappings,
and excessive assassinations. When kidnapped, victims were deprived of their most basic human
rights; leaders and their violent-oriented workmen used every kind of torture method available
to cause terror among people. The drug war in Colombia caused as much bloodshed as
controversy, which is why it is a significant event in Colombian history. (Bordeaux, 1991)
Bolivia
Ranking amongst the country with the most production of cocaine, Bolivia is at the top of
the list. Because the cultivation of the coca plant is legal in Bolivia, many Cartels take advantage
of this. In a 2007 study, the United Nations found that 28,900 hectares of Bolivian land were
used in the production of the coca plant, which surpasses the legal amount of land that could be
used. Considering that Bolivia is one of the major producers of cocaine, it has become the
midpoint of illegal drug trade in South America, trading drugs to Brazil, Peru, Colombia,
Ecuador, and even Southern Mexico. Although cocaine is illegal in Bolivia, production remains
high; this means that the vast majority that is consumed is bought illegally, driving the prices of
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enormous amount of power and profit, Bolivian drug cartels are known to be the most relentless
of all. They cook illegal amounts of cocaine in state of the art laboratories and are known for
their vicious attacks on civilians when troubled by negotiations with the Bolivian government.
V. Possible Solutions
In order to control the amount of influence drug cartels have over Latin American
regions, it is important to intervene in both a short and long term perspective; these proposals
should also address the issue from different areas. Because drug cartels are illicit business, it is
important to target the economic advantages that these drug cartels enjoy. The legalization of a
specific substance can often eliminate a drug cartel’s main profit source; however, this topic is of
great controversy, resulting in a slow and tedious legal process that may take years to implement
successfully. Furthermore, local police force corruption is known to prevent policemen from
successfully intervening in the issue. In general, law enforcement in countries like Mexico,
Colombia, and Uruguay is inefficient due to the common practice of bribery and corruption.
Governments should supervise police force activities more closely in order to increase the
efficiency of law enforcement and prevent corrupt deals between drug cartels and police officers.
Unfortunately, corruption reaches even the highest levels in the governmental hierarchy, and
close supervision is hard to establish and maintain. (Myall, 2014)
Providing security and job opportunities for innocent citizens, whose human rights are
constantly being violated by cartels, should be a priority. This way, people would not succumb to
drug cartel influence, and would not become victims of kidnaps and extortions. However, the
implementation of security in these areas can bring negative consequences, as violence could
arise from threatening drug cartels. On the other hand, countries may try implementing policies
that help keep people off the street; this will help decrease the amount of people affected by drug
cartel violence. International investment is a key catalyst necessary for the implementation of
job opportunities in Latin American countries, and such can be negotiated through international
relations. Investments from large corporations or companies, such as the case of the automobile
company, Kia, in Monterrey, create job opportunities by providing a medium in which their
products are created. If companies choose Latin American countries to provide them with
workers for their factories, it is highly unlikely that people with new opportunities keep working
for low paying drug cartel jobs. (Winslow, 2015)
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Unfortunately, the increasing rates in which cocaine and other drugs are transported
across the Central American strip has had devastating effects in several countries. However, this
significant increase experienced in the past is predicted to turn into a stable trend in the
upcoming years. Nonetheless, thousands of people are currently affected by the violence present
in both, plantation areas and the communities around them. Currently, 59% of the cocaine
worldwide is exported from South America. This has not only affected the export country, but
also those importing them illegally. The war on drugs is still being fought in certain countries,
and many government officials are currently recognizing and identifying many unintended
consequences which relate to the violation of the human rights of victims and participants of the
war on drugs. Not only do these consequences come from the use of drugs itself but also from
the organized crime that derives from managing a drug cartel (“The War On Drugs”, 2015).
Bolivia
Bolivia has experienced a significant increase in drug cartels, and has thus suffered from
the violence that stems from them. The rise of transnational organized crime in Bolivia has
impacted this nation so much that it is considered to be the greatest threat to Latin American
security. The Bolivian government has been devising measures to minimize the effects of drug
plantations and trafficking in their nation. These policies will be instituted in several years when
the government votes on them. One of the main reasons why drug trafficking is so common in
Bolivia is because carrying drugs in Bolivia does not warrant a jail sentence. Bolivia may see
great improvement in the protection of its citizen's human rights if it were to present a reform
for this law. However, other legal measures are being considered in order to reduce the violation
of human rights by drug traffickers. (UNODC, 2015)
Mexico
Like other South American countries, Mexico has suffered from the violence that drug
cartels catalyze. Ever since 2006, the government has engaged with various Mexican cartels
resulting in a bloody War on Drugs. During his presidency, Felipe Calderón worked with the
United States government in order to stanch the flow of drugs in both countries by creating a
project that would target drug cartels. While the United States funded the project and played a
major role in it, the Mexican government was accused by civilians of showing little to no effort
on stopping the drug wars. The Mexican people decided to take action themselves and created a
civilian force in Guerrero to fight against the illegal works of the Knights of the Templar Cartel.
(“Mexico’s Drug War”, n.d.)
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