For fifty years many aspects of United States foreign policy in Latin America have been shaped by a US declared “war on drugs” in the Andean countries of Colombia, Peru, and Bolivia, and more recently with Mexico. Latin American leaders and public health experts in the US have challenged the efficacy of the policy. We will explore the history of this policy while discussing new approaches that are now under discussion.
Gary Prevost is Professor Emeritus of Political Science and Latin American Studies at the College of St. Benedict and St. John’s University. He is the author of numerous books and articles on Latin American and the Caribbean.