Introduction
The war on drugs is the most significant occurrence in Mexico in the last decade. In the last ten years, the war on drugs has intensified in Mexico. President Felipe Calderon, who was elected in 2006, has been rigorously fighting this menace. In 2006, the president sent troops to stop killings that were going on between two drug gangs.
In 2007, his government sacked 284 corrupt police commissioners and replaced them with others. The new commissioners have been able to arrest many drug dealers. The US government has shown its support of the undertaking by providing financial support to Mexico.
Significance of War on Drugs
Waging war against drugs is very important because drug trafficking promotes violence, corruption in government, and increases the public demand for the drugs. These negative impacts are greatly affecting Mexico, and that is why declaring war on drugs by President Felipe Calderon was the most important event of the decade.
In Mexico, there are very powerful, armed and rich drug cartels that control most of the activities in the country. The drug gangs are retaliating to the war against them by conducting drug-related killings.
Many lives have been lost in the war against drugs as the drug cartels are hitting back with violent attacks in order to safeguard their business interests. Since the swearing in of President Felipe Calderon in 2006, over 30,000 lives have been lost to drug-related violence (Maurtua par 3).
Factors Influencing War on Drugs
Several factors have influenced the war on drugs. Drug trade is one of the biggest industries in Mexico. This trade has had many negative impacts on the Mexican social, economic, and cultural development. Drug dealing has led to violence and insecurity among the residents.
It has also increased the use of drugs by the public. Moreover, it has had negative impacts on the economic growth. These factors have led to the president to declare war on the drug use in order to improve the country’s economic, cultural, and social status. He is trying to change the Mexican culture that was built on drug-related money and values (Maurtua par 7).
Drug-related violence instills fear on the citizens and they may be unable to go on with their economic activities freely. Violence causes psychological harm to the residents. It has led to an increased migration of people and relocation of many businesses from Mexico, leaving many towns empty. Violence has prevented many people from investing in the country and therefore they migrate to safer places.
Even international organizations are reluctant to invest in a place where there is no security. This has led to economic losses by the government (Shirk 33). Therefore, there is a need to stop the drug trade in order to provide a safe and secure environment for the citizens.
The drug industry has also greatly corrupted many Mexican institutions. Various authorities including the politicians, police, judges, and prosecutors receive drug revenues in order to protect the interests of the drug cartels. Drug cartels have even been funding electoral processes. The corruption of judicial institutions leads to reduced competitiveness and reduced ability of the country to attract investments.
Therefore, there is reduced ability of the country to compete globally in the markets. This has devastating effects on the economic growth of the country. Corruption among the government authorities leads to increased drug-related criminal activities and poor government productivity.
Free press is also repressed to prevent the exposure of the drug cartels and the government officials who protect them (Shirk 30). Curbing the drug trade will lead to reduced corruption in the government institutions and consequently, increased credibility and competitiveness.
The drug industry has increased demand and use of drugs because sometimes the drug dealers prefer to pay their employees with the drugs instead of money. There has been a great increase in drug consumption in Mexico. Increased drug use leads to economic losses in terms of healthcare due to drug-related ailments and addictions.
Drug users also incur more injuries at work and this leads to extra costs on treatment. Economic losses may also be incurred in terms of the amount of time that people waste in jail because of drug use and drug-related crimes.
The government is also spending a lot of money in formulating policies and controlling drug abuse (Toro 52). Fighting against drugs will lead to less consumption by the public and therefore, increased productivity. There will be an increased economic growth because many economic losses will be avoided.
However, winning the war against drugs is not easy as many residents admire the drug cartels and see them as a source of livelihood. People are also not happy with the many deaths that have resulted from the war against drugs (Shirk 37).
Conclusion
The fervent war on drugs initiated by president Felipe Calderon is a commendable step towards ridding Mexico of the reputation of drug trafficking. The president has engaged in a fierce battle with the drug cartels since his swearing in.
The war against drugs is beneficial since drug trade has many negative social, cultural, and economic implications on Mexico. Successful elimination of the drug trade will lead to increased economic growth, improved security for the citizens, and reduced corruption in government institutions.
Works cited
Maurtua, Michael. “The Mexican Drug War.” Slide share, 2011. Web.
Shirk, David. The Drug War in Mexico: Confronting a Shared Threat. USA: Council on Foreign Relations, 2011. Print.
Toro, MarĂa Celia. Mexico’s “War” On Drugs: Causes And Consequences.USA: Lynne Rienner Publishers, 1995. Print.