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Drug Cartel Case Study

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1) What countries are involved in the drug trade of the Americas? How does each country contribute to the trade? According to the Drug Policy Alliance, “the Andean countries of Colombia, Peru and Bolivia are the world’s main cocaine producers, while Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean have become the principal corridors for transporting drugs into the United States and Europe.” Colombia is the country that exports the most cocaine, Peru and Bolivia being the second and third, and Mexico is mostly responsible for drugs entering the United States (Smith). Reportedly, “ninety percent of the cocaine that enters the U.S. transits through Mexico.” (CNN) 2) Provide some statistics surrounding death tolls in Latin America due to the activity of Drug Cartels. How do these statistics measure up to other world events attributed to high death tolls? In Venezuela 75% of murders are cartel or gang related (Mennem). Meanwhile, in El Salvador, there is an average of 16 murders a day (Mennem). These statistics are alarmingly high, and can easily be compared to the fight against terrorism and the war in Iraq. According to a recent UN report, nearly “9,000 civilians have been killed and …show more content…
I believe that there might be limited coverage due to the United States’s huge involvement in drug cartels. As one man wisely put in the documentary we watched in class that “the drugs go north, the guns go south”. According to the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, 90% of guns seized after shootings or raids in Mexico have come from the United States. It’s a matter of pride for the most part: we cover news that the United States can do something about, like the fight against terrorism. However, when it comes to drug cartels, which the United States plays a major role in, the news coverage would stir many debates over gun control and laws, which is an issue of wide

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