The war on drugs is destructive to society and the natural world. President Gustavo Petro of Colombia has urged a reappraisal.
Once again, Colombian President Gustavo Petro has succeeded in stirring up controversy, much to the glee of his ardent supporters in Colombia and throughout the world as well as his vehement detractors. This time, his address of twenty minutes delivered to the plenary session of the 77th United Nations General Debate in New York generated excitement, joy, rejection, and a variety of interpretations in Colombia and other nations.
On September 20, 2022, a level of clarity regarding the connection between comprehensive environmental and climate protection and a new and different approach to drug policy was presented to the international community that had not previously been achieved by any head of state from the country that produces the most cocaine in the world. Gustavo Petro, who was just recently inaugurated into his position as president of Colombia, drew a distinction between the challenges that are native to Colombia and the requirement for regional and international cooperation in order to find a long-term solution to both of the country's most pressing problems. Coca production was cited as a lesser danger to mankind by Petro in his speech, but he still managed to attract a lot of attention since he compared the mining of coal and oil to the growth of coca.
The populist, hazardous, and demagogic tendencies of Petro's words have earned him criticism from those on the right and the conservative side of the political spectrum. They claim that he has the intention of turning Colombia into a "narcoestado," which literally translates to "drug state," and that Petro has the intention of unilaterally legalizing cocaine. By doing so, they are ignoring the fact that despite the fact that the United States of America has invested billions of dollars in the Colombian special police units, there has been very little success in the fight against organized drug trafficking groups and their ability to penetrate politics, business, and society in order to corrupt.
Petro described the "War on Drugs," which had been going on for more than 50 years and had been declared in 1972 by the then-US President Richard Nixon, as a failure in a manner that was more direct than his predecessor, Juan Manuel Santos, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and who served as president of Colombia from 2010 to 2018. More than a million women in Latin America were killed, and more than two million African Americans were imprisoned; these are clear signs of the insanity of a destructive capitalism whose roots lie in the United States. The Colombian president also held the international community, which is overseen by the United States government, responsible for this disaster. According to Petro, prohibition is the only tactic that can be used to combat drug consumption.
What Petro does not comment on here, but what is agreed upon by a large number of specialists and representatives of non-governmental groups, is that there is no such thing as a human civilization that does not make use of intoxicants. And the fact that it is difficult to fathom that this will continue to be the situation in the years to come. According to the findings of a large number of studies, however, less focus should be put on the restriction and criminalization of the intake of drugs that were previously categorized as illegal, and more emphasis should be placed on the safe and controlled use of such substances.
Even though the road to a new drug policy that respects the human rights of farmers, producers, and consumers will not be easy or quick, the fact that the discussion that was started by Petro in Colombia is going in this direction makes the importance and scope of his words clear: Only through clear state regulation (and not through legalization!) can the power of criminal drug trafficking organizations be limited, the violence that is associated with drug trafficking be reduced, and the prostitution that is associated with drug trafficking be eliminated.
During his talk, Petro demonstrated how much the ongoing war on drugs is also hindering efforts to safeguard the environment. In his address to the United Nations, he pleaded for an immediate halt to the widespread use of the dangerous chemical glyphosate on marijuana and coca crops. If it were used in the same way it was before, it would only contribute to the increasing destruction of the environment, the ongoing loss of biodiversity, and the ongoing bloodshed in Colombia. The ineffective agricultural policies of the last several decades have had a detrimental effect on the ability of millions of farmers to make a living.
The President of the United States put out the idea of a global agreement to preserve the one-of-a-kind ecology of the Amazon as a potential solution. In order to accomplish this goal, the nations of Latin America would need to have their external debts lowered, and the countries of the Amazon region, including Colombia, should be given one billion dollars annually from a fund that is managed worldwide for the next twenty years. The contribution that these money would make to the protection of the world's climate would be significant since they would be utilized to prevent future destruction of the rainforest and the extraction of its resources in violation of the law. According to experts, the figure seems to be appropriate and not in the least bit excessive: between the years 2000 and 2016, the United States alone invested around 10 billion US dollars into building the Colombian security apparatus - once again, without any significant achievements.
After listening to this speech, it is abundantly clear that Gustavo Petro is aiming for a fundamental change in the current impasse: the only way for Colombia and Latin America to become stable and for communities to develop peacefully is for the drug trade to be decoupled from the dynamics of violence. This calls for the formation of alliances on both the social and international levels. However, neither Petro nor Colombia will be able to do this task on their own.
The Colombian President relies on studies that are well-known in the scientific community, studies that were conducted by non-governmental groups, and the representatives of indigenous communities: They have been emphasizing for decades that prohibition laws do not prevent the production and trafficking of drugs or intoxicants that are designated as illegal, nor do they prevent the use of these substances or intoxicants. On the contrary, this has not been the case for more than half a century: There is now an all-time high in the quantity of cocaine that is farmed, transported, and consumed in Colombia and the rest of the globe. Despite the fact that a peace accord was struck in 2016 with the rebel group FARC, which made a substantial contribution to pacifying huge portions of the nation, Colombia is still plagued by violence, displacement, murder, damage of the environment, and unlawful overexploitation.
Now is the time for the President to demonstrate that his lofty statements are not only an everyday analysis, but rather that they are to be followed by tangible actions: Will Gustavo Petro be successful in bringing the discussions taking place at the regional, international, and national levels into harmony so that national wisdom may be recognized? Will he be able to recruit supporters, other than Bolivia, and persuade international forums and decision-making organizations that his approach is the best one? Even with this, there are several questions: The political landscape of Latin America is still largely shaped by conservative forces. The previous administration, which was headed by President Santos, made an effort to rectify the ineffective policies of the past by using novel approaches backed by solid scientific evidence. Now is the time for Petro to make an effort to move the discussion about a global drug control system forward by 15 years in order to have any possibility of gaining worldwide support.
In addition to this, Gustavo Petro would need to find a way to balance his worldwide rhetoric with the additional political choices that need to be made in his own country. This inconsistency between what he says and what he does is repeatedly brought to light in a number of different contexts. For instance, he is unable to put an end to the usage of glyphosate in Colombia despite all of the declarations that he has made.
Strikes, boycotts, and other forms of social protest are the only options available to communities who cultivate cocaine and marijuana in response to the government's efforts to make cultivation of these products illegal. It is also taking a long time to fill critical posts that may help forward a new agenda: A new appointment for the execution of the national program for the replacement of illicit cultures has not yet been identified, despite the fact that Gloria Miranda was chosen as the new director for drug policy at the Colombian Ministry of Justice at the end of September.
People living in areas where coca is grown are left to fend for themselves because there is a lack of clear and competent contacts at the national level, as well as locally adapted and integral development perspectives. Some examples of these include measures to improve infrastructure in the provinces, the provision of goods and services, a stronger presence of the state, and other similar initiatives. They do not have any assurances that they will be safe, they do not have any prospects for employment, they do not have access to education or medical treatment, and finally, they do not have any options.
It will not be able to bring about change until an effort is made to find a solution to the complicated situation that has developed as a direct consequence of the drug policy that has up to this point been focused on criminalization and prohibition. It is to be feared that in the absence of an all-encompassing political strategy, armed, illegal criminal groups will continue to kill and drive away, and that the already challenging economic and social situation will continue to deteriorate in many areas. Additionally, it is to be feared that nothing will be done to stop the cultivation and trafficking of illegal drugs, which is a problem that cannot be solved.
The decriminalization of producers, the provision of safety assurances for communities, and the formulation of an expansion plan for growing zones are all potential components of such a strategy. At the same time, educational and awareness initiatives geared toward the responsible and controlled use of intoxicants should be directed toward consumers.
The national legislative framework that already exists in Colombia might be used by the Colombian government, and non-punitive techniques could be enabled, in order to generate alternative means of subsistence for communities who now live off of and with marijuana and coca: Many of the communities have a significant amount of untapped potential for ecotourism and the ability to develop fresh ideas for the use of traditional plant-based practices. Plants are an essential component of sustainable value chains and are an important source of support for peace.
Gustavo Petro will not be able to do this on his own, and not only in Colombia; he will also require progressive relationships in the region, Europe, and Germany in this policy area. It is hoped that the United States, by taking firm action in Colombia, would also reevaluate its existing strategy and join Latin America's most significant ally in a reconsideration of drug policy. This is because Colombia is the most important ally Latin America has.
There is a chance that the erroneous "War on Drugs" and the attendant environmental degradation in huge areas of the Andean nations, as well as murder and violence against their populations, will continue for another fifty years if world political leaders refuse to address the issue. There is yet a glimmer of faith that things may eventually change.
Authors: Catalina Niño and Oliver Dalichau