Colombian President Continues Fight against Drug Cartels

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos spoke at a UN General Assembly meeting this week regarding international drug policy and his country’s fight against drug cartels, according to AFP. He outlined various proposals to strengthen campaign efforts, such as treating drug users instead imprisoning them and building a stronger international coalition against drug kingpins. The president hopes that a potential peace deal with FARC rebels would provide the perfect opportunity to cripple the drug trade in Colombia.

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos spoke at a UN General Assembly meeting this week regarding international drug policy and his country’s fight against drug cartels, according to AFP. He outlined various proposals to strengthen campaign efforts, such as treating drug users instead imprisoning them and building a stronger international coalition against drug kingpins. The president hopes that a potential peace deal with FARC rebels would provide the perfect opportunity to cripple the drug trade in Colombia.

Colombia has won many battles against drug trafficking, but is failing to win the war. On the plus side, officials have destroyed numerous coca fields around the country, while degrading cartel influence in Colombia. The South American country’s prominent role in drug trafficking has diminished due to persistent government action, with Peru replacing Colombia as a primary drug supplier on the black market.

Furthermore, the government has been in negotiations with FARC and has forged an agreement with the Marxist guerrilla organization in eradicating coca crops, which are heavily guarded by armed gangs. With that, FARC’s role in the Colombia drug trade cannot be ignored, as the group has taxed drug money to finance operations against the government and non-sanctioned right-wing paramilitary groups that also thrive from drug money.

Fighting between these groups has fostered some of the worst levels of violence and instability in the nation, with factions vying for territory and supply routes. If Santos can solidify peace with FARC, it would deal a heavy blow to the kingpins and secure long-lasting stability in his country.

FARC’s assistance is instrumental, but the long-term goal of defeating the drug trade is far from attainable because narcotics money flourishes at the international level. Santos’ administration has captured or killed many drug capos in Colombia, but someone will always take their place, as black market financial transactions largely remain unmolested.

Santos would have to ramp up efforts beyond Colombia’s borders and target Western banks that launder drug money for criminal syndicates. Many Colombians make their living from the drug trade, but Colombia’s economy benefits little from illicit drug sales. Most of the profits circulate among cartels, banks that participate in money laundering, and demand markets, such as the United States and Europe, notes The Guardian.

Banks amass billions of dollars in laundering profits, and regulators from the U.S. and Europe are fully aware of the banking sector’s alleged involvement in the drug trade. Confirmed money laundering cases have only resulted in simple fines. For instance, U.S. authorities levied a $1.92 billion fine against British bank HSBC for its role in Latin American drug money laundering and other unscrupulous transactions, and other large banks have been implicated in the past.

Santos faces an uphill battle as he contends with forces more powerful than his administration, especially as banking officials and corrupt politicians around the world benefit from the status quo, and he will have to convince more world leaders that the drug war requires fresh ideas. At the UN meeting, some leaders from Latin America conceded that the aggressive nature of the global drug war has failed, and Santos decried harsh policies, such as imprisonment and death sentences.

The president has ruled out the notion of legalization, but he could take a cue from Portugal, which legalized all drugs and focused on treatment measures, leading to decreased drug usage overall. Santos is taking a more compassionate approach to the drug war, but it remains to be seen if his new strategy will be effective in Colombia while resonating with world leaders.