Drugs and democratic governance in the Caribbean
Date of Publication
1-1-1997 12:00 AM
Publication Date
1997
Security Theme
Transnational Organized Crime
Keywords
Transnational Organized Crime, srhreports, transnationalorganizedcrime
Description
© 1997 Taylor & Francis. The Caribbean drug phenomenon revolves around four separate but related issues: drug production; consumption and abuse; trafficking; and money laundering. These and the problems they precipitate are regionwide but not uniform; they are problematic for the entire region but are not manifested the same way throughout the region. They also are multidimensional, with ripple effects on almost all aspects of life in the region. This phenomenon presents threats and challenges that extend beyond the economic, social, or security arenas to democracy itself. As one respected scholar has observed, “[i]t endangers the capacity of the democratic state to uphold the rule of law because of its corrupting influence on the state apparatus and because of the widespread resort to violence by those involved in the drug business.” 1 Yet there are critical challenges to democracy other than corruption and violence involved, 2 as the analysis of the nexus between drugs and democracy in this chapter illustrates.
Report Location
Drugs and democratic governance in the Caribbean
© 1997 Taylor & Francis. The Caribbean drug phenomenon revolves around four separate but related issues: drug production; consumption and abuse; trafficking; and money laundering. These and the problems they precipitate are regionwide but not uniform; they are problematic for the entire region but are not manifested the same way throughout the region. They also are multidimensional, with ripple effects on almost all aspects of life in the region. This phenomenon presents threats and challenges that extend beyond the economic, social, or security arenas to democracy itself. As one respected scholar has observed, “[i]t endangers the capacity of the democratic state to uphold the rule of law because of its corrupting influence on the state apparatus and because of the widespread resort to violence by those involved in the drug business.” 1 Yet there are critical challenges to democracy other than corruption and violence involved, 2 as the analysis of the nexus between drugs and democracy in this chapter illustrates.
