Analysis Post

Drug policy has been the underdog in this election. With the current situation it doesn’t surprise me that the candidates have gotten away with excluding the subject from their debates. In certain occasions when asked to talk about the subject they have given some insight as to what their beliefs are in regards to the issue. Republican Presidential Candidate John McCain has been one of the few candidates to take a radical stand against drug use. He wants to increase penalties for selling drugs, and believes that proven drug kingpins should be given the death penalty. On the other hand Democratic Candidate Barack Obama has taken a somewhat indecisive stand in regards to drug policies. He said that the “war on drugs” was an “utter failure” and believed in decriminalizing marijuana. He has even said that if elected he wouldn’t approve of eliminate disparity between sentencing crack and powder cocaine. As different as these candidates are in regards to drug laws, they both seem to believe that the key to ending drug consumption in the United States is to attack the drug source. Which is why they both support the U.S. legislation designed to curb drug smuggling by providing funds for different drug activities in Colombia, this plan is better known as Plan Colombia. Yet the candidates once again disagree when it comes to discussing the Colombian Free Trade Agreement which in many manners can be closely related to Plan Colombia. McCain believes the FTA agreement is essential for our relations with this pro-American country, while Obama accuses him of supporting “unfair trade deals.”Obama believes in developmental initiatives for Latin American countries that should be funded through the increase of taxes.
The Statistics show that Plan Colombia has not been successful given that drugs are not limited in the United States and anyone who desires to buy some generally has a source that can supply it. In fact research has shown that “The UN Office on Drugs and Crime, whose 2006 figure of 78,000 hectares (193,000 acres) was half the U.S. government’s estimate, detected 98,000 hectares (242,000 acres) in 2007 - 20,000 hectares or 26% more coca.”Plan Colombia has simply been a waste of money in trying fund a war against drugs that simply has not accomplished any positive effects. Its strategy consists in spraying drug crops with an untested mycoherbicide known as Fusarium Oxysporum a strain of a biological warfare agent. Yet the plan was defined as a "Plan for Peace, Prosperity, and the Strengthening of the State.” When In reality it does completely the opposite. When they spray the drug crops it also lands on food crops, water resources, animals and the civilians of Colombia. It is killing their natural resources. This plan disregards human rights as people are forced to live with the fear of not knowing when the next plane will fly above their heads and spray this lethal substance. As a result “the Consultancy for Human Rights and displacement this week that at least 270,000 people have been forced to flee from their homes in the last six months. That’s an increase of 41% from 2007!" The situation is aggravated by poisonous U.S. funded fumigation.” Even though Obama has shown some concerns in regards to our relationship with Colombia a country that has one of the highest records on human rights violations, he failed to pursue Rice to declare that Colombia violated the human rights conditions. Both candidates are so concerned about other issues that they have put drug laws in the backburner.
Plan Colombia and the Free Trade Agreement are similar and the FTA will add to the consequences of Plan Colombia. Plan Colombia was unsuccessful because it targeted the peasant coca growers in the south, and coca has been known to have the “balloon effect” and it simply moves to another area when eradicated from a certain place. Many of the soldiers trained by the U.S. Army School of Americas have been linked with participating in drug taxing and trafficking. This plan continues to put money in Uribe’s government of which many congress members are being investigated over their alleged ties with the AUC paramilitaries. The FTA threatens to cause an increase in drug trafficking and violence. Considering that in most Latin American countries economic globalization results in unemployment, which would cause people to go back to growing crops and join illegal groups like the FARC guerrilla. About 20% of Colombian’s depend of agriculture as their means of a sustainable income. By requiring Colombia to cut tariff on their agricultural products it would lead to a 35% decrease in employment. This lack of ability to provide for themselves and their families would only cause people to go back to growing the illegal crops or as an even worse alternative join the Farc guerrilla. In the past when Latin American countries have been faced with economic globalization, it has brought an increase in unemployment and an increase in production of illegal substances. This plan negatively affects Colombia, worsening its economic and social situation. Causing an expense on the U.S. that has shown no true positive feedback. The source will always be there as long as the demand continues to exist. The solution to the drug war my be within our country, because even if eradicated from Colombia, other sources of supply would be found.