The cartels of the past protected themselves through bullets. The cartels of today protect themselves with briefcases. The time of armies and automatic weapons is no more. These men hide their unlawful practices behind the screen of lawful business portfolios. Not to say that violence is not still a commonplace among traffickers, but it gets pushed so far down the ranks that tracing violence to a leader of the drug organization is next to impossible.
Along with stealthy ways of doing business, the Invisibles have found new tracts of land to distribute. The US has and still does hold the most customers in the cocaine trade. But the advanced DEA and the security of the borders have proved the US to be too high of a risk for too little of a reward. Instead of the short trips to the states, the Invisibles have opted for the longer, safer, and more lucrative trips to countries such as Australia or India, where the price of cocaine is significantly higher. The new supplier of the substance in Mexico. The Invisibles, however, have no problem stepping out of the US for a little more piece of mind.
The drug lords of today are some of the most brilliant and dangerous smugglers the world has ever seen. Not only have they never seen the precious powder, but they have no trace of drug enforcement breathing down their neck. As the law searches like chickens with their heads cut off the Invisibles stake more and more of a claim on the Columbian economy. It appears to be difficult to catch something you can't see.
6 comments:
I think you make a really good point regarding the progression of drug cartels and the obvious shift in the way this pressing matter needs to be dealt with. As you said, much of this remains unknown to the public, meaning many don't register the severity of the problem. Where most tend to think of gangs and blatant violence in regards to drug cartels, much of it thrives within safe and apparently lawful practices. I agree that those involved are brilliant and highly dangerous, a combination that has proved to wreak havoc.
I agree with the fact that the drug cartels of today have very sneaky and dubious ways that are both brilliant and dangerous. After all, without this clever thinking, the drug cartels wouldn't have lasted as long as they have. However, I think it is also worth discussing both how these drug cartels have affected Columbia as a nation economically.
As we know from presentations, it was in the 1970s-1980s that drug trafficking and cartels become a serious issue within the country. Farmers began to plant marijuana as a means of survival considering that their legal crops were not selling well. Then, the US began to have a period of cocaine addiction. So, it was only natural for Columbia to start smuggling this drug as well(it was in 1975 where there was 600 kilograms of cocaine from a plane). Also during this time period, we say the very first drug Cartels beginning to emerge, the Medellin and Cali cartels, which both lasted for over 12 years. All in all, these cartels without a doubt did become a major problem for the economy considering that it made it harder for the government to fight inflation while also creating an economy that competed with the official economy.
The government had fought hard, however, to get rid of these cartels but with little luck. Presidents Lopez Michelsen and Julio César Turbay Ayala battled tried to stop the drug trade with programs but this didn't really help. It wasn't until President Andres Pastrana in 1998 was there any success because he was the first president to consider getting help from the US. But even then, drug production was still growing, and to this day, Columbia still suffers because of it, as indicated in the original post.
I agree with the fact that the drug cartels of today have very sneaky and dubious ways that are both brilliant and dangerous. After all, without this clever thinking, the drug cartels wouldn't have lasted as long as they have. However, I think it is also worth discussing both how these drug cartels have affected Columbia as a nation economically.
As we know from presentations, it was in the 1970s-1980s that drug trafficking and cartels become a serious issue within the country. Farmers began to plant marijuana as a means of survival considering that their legal crops were not selling well. Then, the US began to have a period of cocaine addiction. So, it was only natural for Columbia to start smuggling this drug as well(it was in 1975 where there was 600 kilograms of cocaine from a plane). Also during this time period, we say the very first drug Cartels beginning to emerge, the Medellin and Cali cartels, which both lasted for over 12 years. All in all, these cartels without a doubt did become a major problem for the economy considering that it made it harder for the government to fight inflation while also creating an economy that competed with the official economy.
The government had fought hard, however, to get rid of these cartels but with little luck. Presidents Lopez Michelsen and Julio César Turbay Ayala battled tried to stop the drug trade with programs but this didn't really help. It wasn't until President Andres Pastrana in 1998 was there any success because he was the first president to consider getting help from the US. But even then, drug production was still growing, and to this day, Columbia still suffers because of it, as indicated in the original post.
Edit: (accidentally clicked on anonymous and it won't let me delete the comment so I'm re-posting this)
In reading this after making my post about Pablo Escobar and the Medellín Cartel, it makes me realize that the drug trade is no different than any other industry that we know of (besides the obvious illegal aspects of cartels). Cartels must adapt to a changing society like every other industry in order to remain competitive. Similarly to every generational industry, the influnece and power of cartels are directly correlated to the demand of their product. Therefore, cartels will remain powerful unless the demand for drugs is diminished which will most likely never happen.
I agree that the drug trade is a dishonest business to be in. That being said, they make up a significant portion of Colombia’s economy, even though they are not officially stated in the GDP. The cartels persisted because of the money there is to be made in the business. There is also no regulations for business owners to provide anything besides a salary towards its employees, which makes the owner keep more of the profit. There also is a certain reputation that comes with being in a cartel that some people enjoy.
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