The Futility of the War on Drugs

Mexico was well known for its stability among the countries of Latin America. Since 1917, Mexico has been a parliamentary democracy, and did not suffer successive coups, which was a hallmark of Mexico’s regional neighbors.

However, since 2006 and the declaration of the War on Drugs by President Felipe Calderon, Mexico has become the most violent place in the region, and national stability is at risk.

The media has been full of reports about various atrocities carried out in Mexico by the cartels. The war on drugs has been costly, both in terms of money and lives. The effects, however, have not been clear. Narcotics consumption has gone up in spite of draconian anti-drug measures. President Calderon’s strategy has been futile. There is no point to continuing a war that cannot be won.

The Lost Cause

“The global war on drugs has failed,” according to an international commission on narcotics. The commission includes many notable members, such as Jimmy Carter, Kofi Annan, Javier Solana, the former president of Brazil Fernando Henrique Cardoso, and the former president of Colombia Cesar Gaviria. The Mexican military and police have been unable to gain the upper hand on the cartels. Five years of violence has resulted in over 40,000 casualties; among them, innocent civilians. Mexico has become a theater of cruelty. The cartels have shocked the world with their brutality. Every now and then, police discover a crucified body, or a human head. In the Mexican town of Ciudad Juarez alone, 3,111 have been killed. Thousands of people have moved out of the city, and American companies have halted their investments there.

Though Mexico is spending 15 percent of its GDP on the drug war, the cartels are still better armed than the Mexican police. The cartels are well established, with large amounts of cash on hand; and they arm their soldiers with sophisticated weapons, such as sniper rifles, night vision goggles, armor piercing bullets and hand grenades. The cartels have even been known to build submarines. The cartels have seen themselves as a force beholden to no one and have no respect for any authority. The government is losing the war to the better armed and better informed cartels. The effects of the war on drugs are grim; over five years of fighting, thousands of casualties, millions of dollars wasted, there has been no results. Despite all this, drug consumption is up.

Is Mexico a Failed State?

An increasing number of people are wondering whether Mexico is on the brink of anarchy. Others are claiming that the Mexican government has already de facto lost control over large swaths of the country. Michoacán, Chihuahua, Guerrero, Sonora, and Nuevo Leon are the states where the cartels are most powerful, and where the fighting has been the bloodiest.

In 2010, a group of 20 gunmen attacked the convoy of the representatives of the government of Michocan. The convoy was shot at with automatic weapons and hand grenades. The security secretary was wounded and two guards were killed. In the city of Ascension, Chihuahua, the city’s entire police force resigned after the death of a colleague. A similar episode occurred in Villa Ahumada, when the police force resigned in 2009 after weeks of violent attacks. In the state of Guerrero, the cartels killed a Mexican member of parliament. Guerrero is the location of the headquarters of one of the most influential cartel, “La Familia.” Marisol Valles Garcia made news when at the age of 20, became the chief of police in Guadalupe. Deemed the “bravest woman in Mexico,” she soon had to apply for political asylum to the United States. In Guadalupe 15 of 17 police functionaries were killed.

The cartels have also started demanding protection money from schools and pre-schools. Over 140 schools staff in Acapulco decided to go on strike. Teachers have been terrified of kidnappings and cartel attacks, and over 600 teachers signed a declaration saying so. The police has not been able to provide adequate protection. These episodes are just examples of the breakdown of he Mexican state in these regions. The cartels have demonstrated that they control the streets and that no authority can stop them. Civilians have been discouraged from talking to police by the violence and by the corruption that pervades the ranks of Mexican law enforcement. Will Mexico turn into a failed state?

For now, calling Mexico a failed state is a bit much. However, if the situation does not change in the next few years, the scenario might be much more possible. The cartels and the rampant corruption in the Mexican government aren’t helping. One thing is sure. Mexican drug money is influencing politics, since many parties are financed by the cartels. If nothing changes, the next president of Mexico might be a cartel kingpin.

Is the U.S. Also Guilty?

The United States was very enthusiastic towards Calderon’s anti-drug policies. The White House threw its support for the program from the start. The United States is partially responsible for the failure of the war and the general chaos that has resulted. The U.S. is the largest consumer of narcotics in the world, and the firearms that kill Mexican civilians and soldiers come from the U.S. as well. The American government has done nothing to restrict the trade of weapons. It also has not tried to limit the demand for drugs.

The White House launched the Merida Initiative, which encompassed financial and military support worth over $1.4 billion. The U.S. would provide state of the art military equipment and training. So far, Mexico has received $197 million. The Merida Initiative was modeled on the supposedly Colombian initiative. Though the Colombians captured the most important drug baron and limited direct cocaine shipments to the U.S., they were not able to make a dent in the production numbers. Instead, Colombian cocaine now goes to Mexico and over the border to the U.S. Also, the Colombian initiative was plagued with allegations of human rights abuses. About three million people were forcibly expelled from their homes, according to a leading Colombian human rights organization.

How to Fight Drugs

The key to ending Mexico’s drug war is the United States. America has a huge market for drugs. The only way to cut off the cartel bosses is to gradually legalize drugs in the U.S., which right now is not realistically possible. International money laundering legislation should also be drafted.

The Mexican government will not win the war on drugs. The United States will not even consider legalizing soft drugs at the moment. The War on Drugs also has a strong lobby, as many weapon and chemical manufacturers have profited handsomely. Privately owned prisons also have had increases in revenue. Washington’s anti-drug policy has been ineffective. The U.S. spends over $40 billion enforcing anti-marijuana laws. The zero tolerance policy towards drug users does not work. A different approach is needed, based on helping, not punishing drug users.

Despite a draconian drug policy, the U.S. has had an increase in drug consumption, as compared to countries with relaxed drug policies, such as the Netherlands or the Czech Republic. The paradoxical aspect of drug laws is that the more draconian the laws are, the more people do drugs. Repression-style drug laws have failed and the War on Drugs is unwinnable as well. Mexican society is weary of the war with cartels. Few believe that the war can be won. The Mexican government has two options. It can either negotiate with the cartels, which is doubtful, or it can legalize drugs. The result will depend on what the U.S. will do, and it should radically alter its drug laws.