International Drug Trafficking
Although they are not mutually exclusive, international crime and terrorism comprise the darker sides of globalization. They use technologies, networks, and connections similarly to the way legal enterprises do, but also endeavor to subvert the work and connections that have made by the forces of the lighter side of globalization.
In Latin America, the “dark side” of globalization that is most predominant would be the drug cartels.
Rather than operating solely on the periphery of society, the drug cartels are visible and influential. They wage war on certain governments, often armed with better arsenals than the police. In Mexico alone, the profits from the trade are equal to the tourism industry. There are even links between terrorist organizations and the cartels.
Efforts to destroy the cartels linger on, with the cartels growing stronger as long as they receive profit. To quote The Wire, the war on drugs isn’t a war at all because “Wars end” but the war on drugs will not. One proposed solution would be a broad, international agreement to end prohibition on narcotics. However, this kind of radical change in policy is not likely, especially in the United States.
I’ll try to provide a few useful sources that examine the cartels in more detail
For a more historical look at the drug cartels, read Latin America’s Response to Narco-Fueled Transnational Crime here.
For a discussion on the cartels in Mexico, read Mexico: Drug Cartels a Growing Threat here and Drug Decriminalization in Mexico here.
Another descriptions of Mexico’s strategy against the cartel can be found in Mexico: A War Dispatch here