Course Code

Course Title & Course Intructor

LACA 1504R

LACA 1504Q

The War on Drugs: Current Issues and Possible Alternatives

Camilo Umaña
The market for illicit drugs has only grown in the last 40 years. World leaders are now rethinking the antinarcotics approach that failed to stem the flow of drugs and caused significant harm in the process. The call to move beyond the traditional war on drugs is not unanimous yet, and clashes with initiatives focusing on a law-and-order hard line. The striking emergence of harmful synthetic drugs, the internationalization of drug cartels, the liberalization of drugs in different jurisdictions, the huge incarceration of vulnerable population – mostly related to micro trafficking, are progressively pressing for a change in the landscape. This course aims at both, critically looking at the impact that the traditional focus of the war on drugs has caused in Latin America -particularly for countries with cocaine production, and evaluating possible alternatives regarding the drug policy including a context of conservative claims, alternatives face huge political resistance, radical violence from criminal organizations, and economic pressure. The study of alternatives will be focused on two main fields: criminal policy and alternative development. Referring to new criminal law strategies, restorative justice, gender- based programs, as well as environmental policies, holistic responses to the economic transition of vulnerable communities, other uses of the coca leaf, and other challenges for Latin America and, in general, for the world.