Legal Commentary

Timeline Of the War on Drugs

By Jeralyn

Reuters today provides a timeline for the War on Drugs in Latin America.

It began in 1970 with passage of the Controlled Substances Act. President Richard Nixon declared a War on Drugs in 1971 and the DEA was established in 1973.

Pablo Escobar formed the Medellin cartel in 1983.

By 1985, Mexico began to replace Colombia. In 1993, Columbian police, with assistance from the U.S., kill Escobar. By 1996, the Cali Cartel was dismantled.

In 2000, President Clinton provides Colombia with $1.3 billion to fight the war on drugs. In 2004, George W. Bush provides $1.4 billion to Colombia and Mexico. In 2008, more than 6,000 are killed in drug violence in Mexico.

And they still don't get the picture, the War on Drugs is a failure. Defense Secretary Robert Gates now wants to use our military to continue the losing battle.

Full post as published by TalkLeft on March 02, 2009 (boomark / email).