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Rampant drug trafficking and related crimes in Central America and the Caribbean show no signs of slowing down and continue to pose security and stability risks for the region, according to a new report released on Wednesday.
The International Narcotics Control Board 2015 annual report, which analyses the global drug trafficking situation, found that the drug situation in Central America and the Caribbean has sparked an increasing threat to security and the rule of law.
Spikes in violent crime and drug-related homicides in the region, among the highest in the world, combined with corruption linked to cartels and drug money in public institutions undermine public safety while weakening the justice system to exacerbate the problems.
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“Impunity, corruption, and weak institutions undermine drug control efforts and the rule of law in the region,” reads the report regarding Central America and the Caribbean, adding that powerful gangs particularly in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras provide protection for the flourishing drug trade, especially in border areas.
But the report stresses that the much-promoted but dubious “war on drugs” isn’t a surefire approach to be enshrined in tackling drug-related challenges around the world.
“The option for future drug policy is not to choose between ‘militarized’ drug law enforcement on one hand and the legalization of non-medical use of drugs on the other,” said INCB President Werner Sipp in a statement accompanying the report, “but to put health and welfare at the center of drug policy and to fully implement the goals and principles of the (international drug control) conventions.”
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The report points to important underlying social factors that lead to the rise in drug trafficking.
“In Central America and the Caribbean, circumstances such as poverty, social inequality and a lack of economic opportunities for young people have contributed to an increase in drug trafficking,” reads the report.
The International Narcotics Control Board annual report is out today: https://t.co/52kIHEjDFH pic.twitter.com/Z5fSr3v5SM
— TransformDrugPolicy (@TransformDrugs) March 2, 2016
The researchers found that the region is a key marijuana supplier and an important trafficking route for cocaine bound for North America and Europe coming from South America. Central America and the Caribbean was the only area in the world where cocaine seizures increased between 2012 and 2013, the report states.
Meanwhile in Mexico, drug cartels continue to responsible for widespread crime and violence, including homicides, kidnappings, and corruption as rival organized crime groups battle for control. The authors also point to a rise in methamphetamine production in Mexico for the U.S. drug market.
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The report argues that addressing social economic, and political issues is key to battling drugs from both the supply and demand side of the equation, saying that poverty, hunger, inequality, and social exclusions can all impact decisions to use drugs or get involved in the drug trade.
The new annual report comes ahead of a U.N. General Assembly special session on the global drug situation in April 2016, aimed at reviewing progress on international action plans and drug policy while promoting increased cooperation to tackle international drug flows.
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