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The U.S.-Colombia 'War On Drugs' Has Failed: What Comes Next?
The Biden administration and Colombia's new government seem to agree on the need for a new approach to drugs policy. But will they be able to find support in their countries to forge a new strategy?
Interpol officers accompanying the sister of Colombian drug lord "Otoniel" before her extradition to the U.S.
BOGOTÁ - Some early directives by Colombia's new president Gustavo Petro suggest he sees the 2016 peace accords with the The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) as failed or at best unfinished. Founded in 1964, FARC, the armed wing of the Communist Party, have been fighting the longest-running armed insurgency in the Western hemisphere.
Signed in 2016 under former president Juan Manuel Santos Calderón, the accords were meant to bring peace to the country, yet that peace has been patchy. This is not because another communist guerrilla force in the country, the National Liberation Army (ELN), has refused to join the peace arrangements, nor is it because of the last government's failure to implement the accord.
The problem clearly concerns drug trafficking, which has continued unperturbed since 2016. While drug use remains illegal, drug trafficking, which has long helped FARC fund its insurgency, will always be highly profitable and foment violence. So is it time to decriminalize drug use?
It is difficult to establish whether it was civil war in Colombia that fueled drug production in the twentieth century, or the other way around, or whether both fed each other. It may even be pointless trying to establish this because the important point is to see what we can do in present conditions.
After a half-century of the U.S.-led war on drugs, its failure is all too evident. Drugs and trafficking are also behind the continued killing of social and community leaders, unarmed civilians and members of the armed forces under Colombia's current government.
Growing demand, changing policies
Nobody could be upset then by the United States and Colombia exploring different solutions, in view of the failure of past strategies. As drug use and violence increase in Colombia, clinics, hospitals and morgues in the United States are in turn packed with their own victims of addiction or shootings. A recent UN report on drugs found that demand for drugs grew 26% in the past 10 years. This means 284 million users or 5.6% of the world's population.
A change of policies is presently at an exploratory stage.
The report also contains the findings of executing different drugs policies. In regions where marijuana consumption was legalized, while users did increase, violence and hospitalizations relating to marijuana fell. The voluntary eradication of drug crops clearly yields more lasting and positive results than forced eradication. Prevention budgets are still tentative and small in less-developed countries, which is the case in Colombia.
The governments of the United States and Colombia seem to agree the war on drugs has failed, and have similar visions for other priorities like the environment and income redistribution. But they have yet to reach formal agreements or define alternative joint policies. The head of the U.S. National Drug Control Policy, Rahul Gupta, has called for new, "holistic" and more caring, anti-narcotic policies, but his comments so far are general and insufficient. His calls on the Justice Department to coordinate a new drug strategy with the Petro government confirm that, as in Colombia, a change of policies is presently at an exploratory stage.
A recent UN report on drugs found that demand for drugs grew 26% in the past 10 years
Meanwhile, problems caused by drugs continue to afflict Colombians as a daily part of their lives. Colombia's defense ministry is to take new actions to contribute to "total peace" in the country, reflecting the government's new direction. But these are not yet part of a systematic policy. The old policies are being dismantled, but Colombians are not sure what will take their place. The only people pleased with a period of ambiguity are drug traffickers.
In terms of a convergence of good ideas, this would be the best time to transform the failed war on drugs. A new Plan Colombia, financed by the United States and the European Union and focusing on environmental issues and crop substitution, would be more likely to achieve "total peace".
Banning drug use has been shown to be ineffective and costly, not to mention fueling the drugs trade. We now have conditions for considering other options, which will in turn have to cross some political filters. One, notably, is the coming congressional elections in the United States, which will be decisive for Biden and any accord he may envisage with Colombia.
The U.S.-Colombia 'War On Drugs' Has Failed: What Comes Next?
The Biden administration and Colombia's new government seem to agree on the need for a new approach to drugs policy. But will they be able to find support in their countries to forge a new strategy?
Interpol officers accompanying the sister of Colombian drug lord "Otoniel" before her extradition to the U.S.
BOGOTÁ - Some early directives by Colombia's new president Gustavo Petro suggest he sees the 2016 peace accords with the The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) as failed or at best unfinished. Founded in 1964, FARC, the armed wing of the Communist Party, have been fighting the longest-running armed insurgency in the Western hemisphere.
Signed in 2016 under former president Juan Manuel Santos Calderón, the accords were meant to bring peace to the country, yet that peace has been patchy. This is not because another communist guerrilla force in the country, the National Liberation Army (ELN), has refused to join the peace arrangements, nor is it because of the last government's failure to implement the accord.
The problem clearly concerns drug trafficking, which has continued unperturbed since 2016. While drug use remains illegal, drug trafficking, which has long helped FARC fund its insurgency, will always be highly profitable and foment violence. So is it time to decriminalize drug use?
It is difficult to establish whether it was civil war in Colombia that fueled drug production in the twentieth century, or the other way around, or whether both fed each other. It may even be pointless trying to establish this because the important point is to see what we can do in present conditions.
After a half-century of the U.S.-led war on drugs, its failure is all too evident. Drugs and trafficking are also behind the continued killing of social and community leaders, unarmed civilians and members of the armed forces under Colombia's current government.
Growing demand, changing policies
Nobody could be upset then by the United States and Colombia exploring different solutions, in view of the failure of past strategies. As drug use and violence increase in Colombia, clinics, hospitals and morgues in the United States are in turn packed with their own victims of addiction or shootings. A recent UN report on drugs found that demand for drugs grew 26% in the past 10 years. This means 284 million users or 5.6% of the world's population.
A change of policies is presently at an exploratory stage.
The report also contains the findings of executing different drugs policies. In regions where marijuana consumption was legalized, while users did increase, violence and hospitalizations relating to marijuana fell. The voluntary eradication of drug crops clearly yields more lasting and positive results than forced eradication. Prevention budgets are still tentative and small in less-developed countries, which is the case in Colombia.
The governments of the United States and Colombia seem to agree the war on drugs has failed, and have similar visions for other priorities like the environment and income redistribution. But they have yet to reach formal agreements or define alternative joint policies. The head of the U.S. National Drug Control Policy, Rahul Gupta, has called for new, "holistic" and more caring, anti-narcotic policies, but his comments so far are general and insufficient. His calls on the Justice Department to coordinate a new drug strategy with the Petro government confirm that, as in Colombia, a change of policies is presently at an exploratory stage.
A recent UN report on drugs found that demand for drugs grew 26% in the past 10 years
Meanwhile, problems caused by drugs continue to afflict Colombians as a daily part of their lives. Colombia's defense ministry is to take new actions to contribute to "total peace" in the country, reflecting the government's new direction. But these are not yet part of a systematic policy. The old policies are being dismantled, but Colombians are not sure what will take their place. The only people pleased with a period of ambiguity are drug traffickers.
In terms of a convergence of good ideas, this would be the best time to transform the failed war on drugs. A new Plan Colombia, financed by the United States and the European Union and focusing on environmental issues and crop substitution, would be more likely to achieve "total peace".
Banning drug use has been shown to be ineffective and costly, not to mention fueling the drugs trade. We now have conditions for considering other options, which will in turn have to cross some political filters. One, notably, is the coming congressional elections in the United States, which will be decisive for Biden and any accord he may envisage with Colombia.
Laura Valentina Cortés, Inès Mermat, Renate Mattar et Hugo Perrin
February 02, 2023
Welcome to Worldcrunch’s LGBTQ+ International. We bring you up-to-speed each week on a topic you may follow closely at home, but can now see from different places and perspectives around the world. Discover the latest news on everything LGBTQ+ — from all corners of the planet. All in one smooth scroll!
This week featuring:
Top athletes coming out
Scotland’s trans violence
EU defends inclusive fairytales
… and more
✉️ You can receive our LGBTQ+ International roundup every week directly in your inbox. Subscribe here.
TW: This content may address topics and include references to violence that some may find distressing.
🇪🇬 In Egypt, Gangs and Police Target LGBTQ+ People Using Dating Apps
The new BBC investigative documentary Queer Egypt Under Attackhas revealed how criminal gangs and Egyptian police officers are using dating apps to target the LGBTQ+ community.
In a two-year-long investigation, journalist Ahmed Shihab-Eldin uncovered the tactics used to lure, and eventually prosecute, LGBTQ+ people in Egypt, where no explicit law against homosexuality exists, but where queer people are more and more at risk of abuse and extortion.
Gangs meet their potential victims on dating apps, where they pretend to be regular people looking for a date, then rob, beat, and extort their victims for money, usually filming these acts and using them to humiliate the victims. The videos often end up online and get millions of views, or they are directly sent to the victims’ families and friends. The police are using the same methods.
While there is no explicit law against homosexuality in Egypt, the crime of debauchery, which is originally a sex work charge, is commonly used to prosecute the LGBTQ+ community. Some of the witnesses interviewed by Shihab-Eldin also declared that they were promised freedom if they in turn became informants and named some of their peers that had the same “perversions”.
🏈 Change Afoot? Top Athletes Come Out In Basketball, Rugby, Tennis
Daria Kasatkina of Russia during the second round of the 2023 Australian Open Grand Slam
A number of high-profile athletes came out this week, such as former pro Australian basketball player Trevor Torrance. Torrance said that he never considered coming out during his career, which coincided with the peak of the AIDS epidemic. “I suffered from anxiety,” he says. “I know I had moments of bouts of depression.”
Russian Tennis Champion Daria Kasatkina also says that being able to come out was a relief to her. “Living in the closet is impossible. It is too hard, it is pointless,” she stated. Kasatkina has also been a vocal critic of the Kremlin and Russia’s war against Ukraine. She officially came out as queer this past summer, but shared in an interview with the Guardian this week that coming out “helped her” and that she is “happy with the outcome.”
Former New Zealand prop Campbell Johnstone has also come out as the first gay All Black. Johnstone said that he has been “leading a double life” and “living a lie” when he came out on television this Wednesday. His coming out has been praised and regarded as “pretty courageous”, especially by All Blacks loose forward Ardie Savea: “He probably doesn’t realize how many people he’s helped internally with what he’s done, so big ups to him.”
🏴 Report Shows Explosion Of Trans Hate Crimes In Scotland In Past 10 Years
Hate crimes committed against trans people in Scotland are rising faster than any other type of hate crime, according to new government statistics published recently, with a 68% increase from 2020–2021 to 2021–2022. Hate crimes targeting the sexual orientation of minorities almost doubled since 2014.
At the center of debates is the Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC), which allows trans people to be recognized properly on many legal certificates. In the UK, trans people must submit a medical diagnosis of gender dysphoria before they can obtain one.
In December 2022, Scotland passed legislation that would have removed it to make the process simpler and more accessible. In January, the UK government blocked the reform for women and children protection.
🇮🇳 Delhi Lawyer Denied Judge Position Because Of “Attachment To Gay Rights”
Kirpal, whose appointment as high court judge has been pending for the past five years, is appalled by the matter and claims that the bench is composed of upper caste, heterosexual men – all of whom are biased, which is not a reflection of the society he lives in.
🇱🇹 EU Says “No” To Warning Label On Lithuanian LGBTQ+-Inclusive Fairy Tales
Cover of a children's book containing LGBTQ+ inclusive fairy tales
The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that imposing a warning label on a children’s book because it contains LGBTQ+ inclusive fairy tales is unjustifiable and violates the right to freedom of expression.
In 2013, the Lithuanian University of Educational Sciences published late lesbian writer Neringa Macaté’s book Gintarinė širdis (“Amber Heart”), containing six fairy tales, two of which had storylines about relationships and marriages between persons of the same sex. After it was published, complaints were submitted and the Lithuanian courts agreed that the book could cause harm to children because of the LGBTQ+ inclusive fairy tales
The Inspectorate of Journalistic Ethics concluded that the book has a negative effect on minors and therefore recommended that the book be labeled with a warning that it might be harmful to children under 14 years of age. But in 2019, the author, who passed away in 2020, took the matter to the European Court of Human Rights. On Tuesday, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that imposing a warning label on a children’s book because it contains LGBTQ inclusive fairy tales is unjustifiable and violates the right to freedom of expression. The court also ordered Lithuania to pay €17,000 to the author’s mother to cover damages and litigation costs.
🇲🇽 Mexico Police Arbitrarily LGBTQ+ People On Grounds Of “Lack Of Morality And/Or Good Manners
In the State of Mexico, phrases such as "lack of morality" are used by the police to harass, extort and arbitrarily detains LGBTQ+ people in public spaces. The findings are shown in an analysis of the 125 municipal governments of the State.
Ricardo Torres, president of Fuera del Clóset A.C. explained “we have been documenting arbitrary arrests, extortion, and harassment by public servants, especially municipal police, for 10 years… And this is something that not only occurs in the State of Mexico, but throughout the country, which uses the figure of ‘lack of morality’ or ‘exhibitionism’ as the perfect excuse for the detention of LGBT+ people."
🇫🇷 France Mourns Bullied Gay Teenage Teenager Who Committed Suicide
Lucas, a 13-year-old gay boy committed suicide on Jan. 7 in Vosges, France. According to his mother, during a press conference last Monday, he was the victim of harassment in the form of teasing and insults due to his homosexuality. A march in memory of Lucas will be held Sunday, Feb. 5.
On Friday, Jan. 27, public prosecutor Frédéric Nahon announced that four students will be tried in the spring for harassing and pushing Lucas to suicide, He also announced the opening of an “incidental investigation against X for non-disclosure of ill-treatment of minors”. During Monday's press conference, broadcast live by the news channels, Lucas' mother said: "It's not just these four young people, it's not just them [...] But it will be the court that will decide. I just want my son to rest in peace and for justice to be done.”
The news has shaken the country with many institutions being scrutinized. One wrote to the French President: “Mr. Macron, stop saying that primary school is "far too early" to deal with questions of sexual orientation and gender identity.“
🇺🇬 Ugandan LGBTQ+ Rights Activist Margaret Sekaggya Receives Lifetime Achievement Award
The U.S. Mission in Uganda has given activist Margaret Sekaggya the Dorothy Ngalombi Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of her outstanding service and achievements as a human rights defender during the U.S. Mission Alumni Impact Awards Ceremony.
Before she founded the Human Rights and Peace Center, of which she is currently the executive director, Sekaggya served as the Chairperson of the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC), which she also helped establish. Sekaggya was also the first United Nations special rapporteur for human rights defenders.
Sekaggya is also known for having successfully opposed the 2010 Anti-Homosexuality Bill in Uganda that would have imposed on an offender imprisonment of at least five years, and in the case of a non-governmental organization, the canceling of its certificate of registration and criminal liability for its director.
🇬🇧 London’s Trans Inclusive “Vagina Museum” Gets Eviction Notice – Again
The world’s only vagina museum dedicated to “vaginas, vulvas and the gynecological anatomy” currently located in London, UK, has been yet again asked to vacate the premises, less than a year after it moved into its Bethnal Green site.
The museum’s aim since it opened in Camden Market in 2019 has been to promote queer and trans-inclusive education about anatomy, which has subjected the venue to severe transphobia. After welcoming 40,000 visitors free of charge during the past ten months, the Vagina Museum will be closed to the public from Feb. 1 so it can vacate the premises.
🇺🇸 Utah Bans Gender-Affirming Medical Care
The Republican-dominated state of Utah has become the first U.S. state to ban gender-affirming care for young trans people. The new measure, passed into law on Jan. 28, will include gender surgery, puberty blockers, and hormone therapy for minors that had not been yet diagnosed with gender dysphoria.
Utah Governor Spencer Corx affirms that this ban was brought on by a desire for “more and better research” to understand the “consequences” of gender-affirming healthcare. But Brittney Nystrom, executive director of the ACLU of Utah, affirms that this bill “bans access to life-saving medical care for transgender youth in Utah”. Another 18 other states are currently considering similar legislation.
🇳🇱 Dutch Constitution Changed To Ban Sexual Orientation-Based Discrimination
“A disability, or who you fall in love with, should never be a reason to be excluded,” said Habtamu de Hoop, member of the PvdA, a left-wing opposition party in the country.
🇺🇸 Trans Model Laith Ashley Stars As Taylor Swift’s Love Interest In New Music Video
Trans model and actor Laith Ashley is Taylor Swift’s love interest in her new music video. Laith Ashely co-stars as the singer’s love interest in the new music video for “Lavender Haze,” the second single from her 2022 album Midnights. Ashley has previously appeared in campaigns for Barney’s and Diesel, walked the runway for Marco Marco, and was the first out trans member of the “pit crew” on RuPaul’s Drag Race.
Swift’s choice of casting for a video she wrote and directed herself has been defined as “a big moment for representation” by Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation’s director of trans representation Alex Schmider.
