Guatemala News

Guatemala City - Today's headlines about another confrontation between Drug traffickers, DEA and Guatemalan security forces in Zacapa is just a repetition of the ongoing story of the ineffective and dangerous anti drug war implemented by the US in our territory and the region: the Merida Plan, Plan Mexico and Plan Colombia.

Where are the Narco Gangs re-surfacing? Everywhere where they can operate in a weak country that does not have the same resources as Mexico and Colombia, especially Guatemala, because we are right there across the border.

We are paying the ultimate price for the idiotic, myopic and ill conceived anti drug war strategies designed by the US and implemented in Colombia and Mexico ( We wonder is it about drugs or is it about OIL resources?).
Mexico gets billions to make war on narcos; Colombia gets billions to make war on narcos, result: massive narco migration. That is hailed as a success in the war on Drugs.
Well it is no success for Guatemala and other countries who suffer the consequences.

The US consideres Mexico a priority: they are neighbours; it is a national security concern and they have a lot of OIL. Colombia is a priority because of the sheer volumes of revenues the narco trade generates that concerns the US, it is an economic concern, and they have a lot of OIL. The US has their own problem with drugs -users -crime and corruption, but the US has chosen to fight the war on drugs outside its territory instead of attacking the root of the problem: the users, the clients, the customers - they live in the US.
Guatemala is in the middle, Guatemala does not concern the US because we are unimportant to them, we have no OIL. No economic interest, no security interest, no political interest. So the geniuses of the US Drug war give resources to Colombia and Mexico, but very little to Guatemala. Result: Guatemala will soon have more narcos then chickens. But who cares. Geopolitically Guatemala is disposable.

We have seen a brutal increase of narco violence in the last year. It is not by chance. It is related to the migration of narco cartels to Guatemala.
We predicted last year that the consequences of this failed war on drugs would be: increase in violent crime related to narcos, serious rupture of the social structures in the country, infiltration of narcos into all power structures of the country, including judicial system, the military, the police, the political parties, the private sector and the banking system.
Guatemala already is the garbage dump for narcos because of the failed regional war on drugs strategy of the US. Guatemala is being sacrificed on the international chessboard of geopolitics and economic interests.

We have a better suggestion: take the money away from Mexico and Colombia, have the narcos return to their countries of origin. Make an air bridge and import the drugs legally into the US. Mexico prospers, Colombia prospers, the US takes care of their problem and we are out of this idiotic war on drugs. That is what we call a successful strategy to contain the problem.

Photo: Why? The Disasters of War. Francisco Goya, 1812-1815.

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Comments (6)

SO SORRY

You make some very good points and I will apologize for the inane strategy of our country. You may want to consider another alternative. Legalize, control, and tax it so you won't have the same problems as Mexico and Columbia have had with all the violence in this never ending war on drugs. Be brave enough to defy the usa. Become what the politicians "fear" the most, a narco state. The money you make from taxes and tourism will be alot more than the usa was going to give you, you will become a favored destination where people can come have a good time and not worry about the heat. You have the opportunity to be the model the rest of the world will someday follow. Viva Guatemala!!!!

Lou Jellyfinger , July 21, 2009

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Agreed, Lou

US citizens need to step-up against this idiotic rhetoric. Citizens truly concerned about national security realize that this policy is extremely counterproductive. I'm seeing services cut across the board in my community, meanwhile we're spending tens of billions per year continuing to fuel this madness.

Legalization + taxation, government regulation = controlled distribution, legitimate businesses to work through, data to make informed decisions, tax revinue,

Prohibition + zero regulation + huge demand = organized crime, intelligence vulnerability, violence in the streets, organized illegal distribution network that can smuggle anything (people, weapons, drugs, etc.), huge non-violent prison population.

captkeebz in San Diego , July 22, 2009

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Huh?

The aid to Colombia and the closing of the trade routes through the Carib has worked. That's the reason the narcos have had to re-route themselves through Central Americal and Mexico. Mexico never bothered to close down their routes, so now that traffic is growing and local narcos have gotten more powerful and violent the Mexican government needs to deal with a much more substantial enemy. The US interest with those countries is not in oil. The amount of oil that those countries produce is negligible and would not justify US involvement for that reason. I think that it is rather another of your stated reasons, which is that these countries are close to home and have also been close to becoming failed states. One thing is for sure, the US has reacted to narco problems and not done enough to prevent the problems before they happen. Currently, the US is starting to invest in Guatemala, but I think that more should have been done before the problem escalated.
By the way, if Guatemala does ever take the radical route of legalizing drugs, as suggested, I'm sure that several local countries will be more than happy to relieve themselves of all the junkies and petty criminals that they need to deal with, and spend a lot of money on, and send them over. Guatemala would become a cesspool, and no true tourists willing to spend their money on the beautiful things that Guatemala is known for will ever go there. Guatemala needs to take a stand and fight - and it will win.

chapin , July 23, 2009

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...

The Ganjawar only pays perpetuating it. Ending it, like Peace in the various police actions. War only profits while being waged. Zero tolerance is as silly as legalizing to the enforcement paraphernalia sales and service. Nixon Kissinger lumping Hemp into the mix removes Oil and Chemical pesticide competition. Booze competition, Pharmaceuticals, trees, plastic, meat, dairy and the grain to feed them sprayed with chemicals aborting babies that Hemp doesn't require. You are collateral damage the same as Polio victims wrestled to the cold floor with automatic weapons pointed at their heads. Or quadriplegic young men forced into cages for a couple joints. Forfeiture and Confiscations are big around Christmas and retirements.

The power structure of a national police expanding the fascism. Fossil fools are exploited from American Indians and poor West Virginians. Clear cutting rain forest to graze cattle or make paper and wood with less tensile strength than Hemp. No worries with prohibition. A trillion dollars spent since the Marihuana Tax Ax of 1937. Is a trillion dollars taxed and spent by parties with vested ignorance. With a Corporate press programming the messages, no one questions and paychecks keep it that way. Lies are the roots of the Ganjawar. No good fruit can ever come of it. Just lots of money. The war no one wants to win or lose just keep it going. Prevention and Cures don't profit. Treatment pays. Treating problems even if you have to invent them. Grow Hemp, process it into textiles and wood products and clothing and Omega 3, 6 and 9. Good Luck.
Peace, Love and Liberty or the Merchants of D.E.A.th... DdC

They don't like our drug war
DWR Pete Guither July 23, 2009

Collaterally Damaged Guatemala

DdC , July 23, 2009 | url

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Perhaps Guatemala would like to step up to the plate and attempt to stop the worlds drug trafficing problem since the US is doing such a horrible job. Where would Guatemala be if the US were to do nothing? Stop complaining and have your politicians and financial resources get the job done then

skosko , August 02, 2009

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So the Guatemala should fix the US drug consumption problem?

Dear skosko,

So you think it is Guatemala’s responsibility to fix the Drug problems the US is having?
I do think it is the Guatemalan government responsibility to fight the drug problems facing Guatemala and the US to fight theirs.

That the US war on drugs should fought on foreign grounds is the same cowardly behavior as al the proxy wars fought all over the world be terrorism drugs or whatever the current buzz word is today.
With all due respect to fellow Americans I do believe we should all try to clean our own dirty laundry first. Then we could “help” others to do the same. Not like it’s done now.

We have a huge problem with illegal drugs in our country so we will help you fight this so it doesn’t reach us.

This is like Saudi asking the American government to help them stop Jack Daniel’s from producing and selling Bourbon. Or even better asking the US to stop Great Britain from producing Jonny Walker. Logic or?

Cheers

Alfonso

Alfonso , August 02, 2009

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