The Andean Cocaine Industry / Edition 1

by Patrick Clawson, Rensselaer Lee

Overview

The Andean nations of Colombia, Peru, and Bolivia are the heartland of cocaine, as well as a growing heroin source. Using extensive field research, Clawson and Lee examine the configuration of the drug industry from field to arrival in the US, from the farmers to the processors, the traffickers, and the international criminals. They analyze the economic and political impact of the drug business on the Andean nations, including such problems as the undermining of legitimate business and the exacerbation of violence and corruption. The fight against narcotics in the Andean nations has included a wide range of strategies, implemented with varying degrees of enthusiasm - promotion of alternative crops, eradication of plants, destruction of labs, interdiction of flights, and negotiations with drug lords. Some of these policies have had counterproductive social, political, and economic effects, eg, generating popular sympathy for drug kingpins, driving rural populations to support guerrilla movements, attracting new migrant to coca-growing areas, or acting as a coca price support program by destroying excess leaves. The US government has financed much of the Andean counternarcotics effort. Clawson and Lee ask such questions as whether a different mix of policies, with the same dollars spent would have done more to reduce the coca flow, whether curbing narcotics production is an achievable objective (and if not what US overseas programs should attempt to accomplish), and whether the Andean countries would benefit economically and politically from the legalization of drugs.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780312176914
Publisher:	Palgrave Macmillan US
Publication date:	06/11/1998
Edition description:	1998
Pages:	292
Product dimensions:	5.51(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.03(d)

About the Author

Patrick Clawson is at the Institute for International Strategic Studies.

Rensselaer Lee III is at Global Advisory Services. They have advised government agencies on narcotics.

Table of Contents

Abbreviations
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• Part I: The Basics About Cocaine
• Cocaine and The Andes
• Part II: Cocaine Trafficking
• The Medellín and Cali Cartels
• The International Dimension: Colombians, Italians, and the European Market
• Colombia’s Drug Negotiations
• Part III: The Effects of Cocaine on the Andes
• Coca and the Alternatives
• Cocaine and Colombian Society
• Relations with Guerillas
• The Costs of the Cocaine Industry to Andean Society
• Part IV: What Can Be Done?
• Effects of Counternarcotics Efforts in Latin America on US Cocaine Abuse
• Where Do We Go From Here?
• Appendices
• Notes
• Select Bibliography
• Index

Editorial Reviews

"A clear-eyed analysis of the Latin American cocaine business . . ." -- Foreign Affairs

From the Publisher

Basing their findings largely on recent field research, economist Clawson and political analyst Lee offer a thorough overview and analysis of the cocaine industry in Colombia, Peru, and Bolivia. Convinced that the United States cannot stop the Andean cocaine trade and that what ultimately happens will depend more on local politics than on U.S. intervention, they examine cocaine use; cocaine trafficking; the effects of the industry on Andean societies, economies, and politics; and realistic policy options for shrinking the industry. Among some of their interesting findings: cocaine revenues in Peru and Bolivia are less than six percent of gross national product; for every $100 of drugs sold in the United States, the federal government spends 60 trying to control distribution. Numerous charts, graphs, and references are included. Highly recommended for academic libraries.Gary D. Barber, SUNY at Fredonia Lib.

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