Why is the prison population in the United States so high compared to other countries? While the U.S. represents about five percent of the world’s population, it houses nearly 25 percent of the world’s prisoners. It may be the cas, then, that the high incarceration rate in the U.S. is a sign of our advanced society with … Continue reading
Tag Archives: war on drugs
How much will the US-Mexico Relationship Change After July 1?
The Washington Post ran an article on May 14 by Nick Miroff and William Booth about Enrique Peña Nieto, the front-runner in Mexico’s upcoming presidential election. The article centers on the fact that few Mexican voters and political analysts on both sides of the US-Mexico border have much of a sense about the man known … Continue reading
UNASUR Moving Forward with Its Integration Efforts
According to reports from a ceremony in Quito, Ecuador, the 12 countries that make up the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) are moving forward with their plans to create an alternative to the “Organization of American States and any other group lobbied from North America.” One of the main goals of UNASUR is to … Continue reading
Hugo Chavez’s Health Could Have a Number of Consequences for the Western Hemisphere
All eyes are on poll numbers, gay marriage, the economy, and most definitely not focused on Venezuela. Well, in my opinion, the United States might want to keep an eye on the current electoral situation in Venezuela and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez’s health is a major part of the electoral picture in that country. There … Continue reading
Another Example of Why the United States Will Never “Win” Its War on Drugs
The United States is most assuredly not winning the war on drugs. Anyone who tells you otherwise is woefully uninformed or playing politics. The most recent example of how badly the United States is losing this war can be evidenced by its decision to adopt counter-measures to the Mexican drug cartels’ newspaper advertisement campaign. I … Continue reading
Open Letter to Álvaro Uribe
Mr. Uribe, first and foremost I must respectfully express my gratitude for what you and your policies have done for my country of birth. Once on the verge of being deemed a “failed state,” Colombia is now a safer and more prosperous country. Your Democratic Security initiative and other policies laid the groundwork for Colombian … Continue reading
Formal Criminal Alliances Pose a Major Security Threat to the Americas
A recent report from Guatemalan authorities focuses on a formal alliance between two major criminal entities: the Mexican Zetas cartel and the Mara Salvatrucha (MS) street gang that operates throughout Central and North America. Informal and temporary alliances are often formed between criminal groups, but this is the first report of a formal alliance. Such … Continue reading
Latin American Drug Legalization and US National Security
True to form, the American media has continued its focus on domestic politics leading up to the November presidential election. So far, the GOP primary and the fallout from Rush Limbaugh’s comments about Georgetown University law student Sandra Fluke have dominated this week’s media attention. Lost in this news coverage were Vice President Joe Biden’s … Continue reading
Is Colombia coming closer to the end of a long road to peace?
Sunday, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia – People’s Army (FARC-EP) declared that they will stop the practice of kidnapping for financial gain. This announcement is a milestone, not just because of Colombia’s past reputation as the kidnapping capital of the world, but also because of the profitability of this practice for the FARC-EP. Kidnapping, … Continue reading
No, CNN, Mexico’s drug strategy is not working…
Last week CNN ran a column by Mariano Castillo entitled “Is Mexico’s’ drug war strategy working?” as part of a continuing series about the ongoing conflict in Mexico. My response to that question would be an emphatic “no, Mexico’s drug war strategy is not working!” Castillo’s article begins by noting that “on paper” the Mexican … Continue reading