Cartagena Summit debates alternatives to War on Drugs

Prohibition-led policies and the devastating consequences in the region

The debate on alternatives to the war on drugs has seen a tremendous boost in recent months. Disappointed about the meager results of prohibition-led policies and the devastating consequences of the illicit drug business in the region, several presidents have taken the initiative to bring the issue to one of the highest level intergovernmental meeting in the hemisphere. The Sixth Summit of the Americas in Cartagena, Colombia, is the most important meeting of heads of states where, for the first time, alternatives to prohibition will be discussed.

This historic event is preceded by the arguments of experts and activists who for years have advocated a paradigm shift. What is discussed in Cartagena is only a first step, but the existence of a critical mass that is prepared to discuss serious policy changes could mean the continuity of a debate about the consequences of decades of war, that have not resulted in the reduction of drug trafficking but instead helped to multiply, concentrate, specialize and diversify organized crime.

Please click here to access a list of recent documents generated in response to the proposals of the presidents Santos of Colombia and Pérez Molina of Guatemala to put the drug issue on the agenda.

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