Drug War Hegemony

Research Authorship:

Chris Tasker, Dr. Chau Kelly

Faculty Mentor:

Dr. Chau Kelly | College of Arts and Sciences | Department of History

Abstract:

International relations are based upon power, the dynamics of these power relations are integral to the interaction of all states. In this regard my work has been focused on examining how the United States and a broader group of Latin American states have had the character of their relations changed by a priority on the “War on Drugs” through the early 1970s, up until the early 2000s. The scope of my study included such works as international treaties, government accounts, accounts from non-government organizations, and works of academia, which were contrasted by the actual actions which participating states took. The three Latin American states I primarily used as a case study were Mexico, Panama, and Colombia. Future decisions on American forgien policy must be based upon an understanding of the status of these existing relationships, a goal that can only come from analysis of them historically. This being said I found that previous conflation of inderiction and international support mechanisms by the United States has had the effect of eroding the legitimacy of the governing institutions of Latin American nations, as well as nurturing both an economic and martially based sphere of influence that has been detrimental to the region.