A Sustainable Security Approach to the 'War on Drugs'

A new report from Open Briefing argues that the illicit drugs trade and the militarised government responses are the greatest threats to state and human security in the Americas. The report outlines the almost total failure of current strategies and calls for a sustainable security approach to address this. The report puts this failure in stark terms stating that “By focusing on ineffective supply reduction strategies, the war on drugs is destroying the countries of Latin America in order to protect those of North America.”

The authors, Chris Abbott and Joel Vargas, conclude that decriminalising some drugs and legalising others should form the foundation of a sustainable security strategy to tackle the violent crime associated with the illicit drugs trade in the Americas. The report outlines the following integrated programmes that would constitute an effective strategy:

• Decriminalising some drugs and legalising others in a staged process.
• Separating the law enforcement and military elements of tackling drug-related organised crime.
• Addressing citizen security challenges, including lack of personal safety.
• Addressing police corruption through career-long training, supervision and assessment.
• Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration programmes for former cartel members.
• Radically increasing funding for drug education and treatment programmes in North America.

The report is well-timed as it comes just ahead of the Sixth Summit of the Americas on 14-15 April in Cartagena, Colombia. In fact the authors explicitly call for the Summit to allow for a proper debate on the potential legalisation of drugs so that Central American states can be “allowed to develop their own policy strategies rather than be pressured to continue strategies that only benefit others.”

The 9-page report is available in English and Spanish here.

Image source: truthout.org