Drug cartels and Central America

IF EMERGENCY measures are not taken, parts of  Central America will soon collapse into failed states dominated by criminal organizations who are able to buy political power.

This is the dramatic  conclusion reached by a study on the subject carried out by a coalition of Guatemalan institutions composed of the Coordinating Committee of Agricultural, Commercial, Industrial and Financial Associations (CACIF), the National Economic Research Center (CIEN) the Foundation for the Development of Guatemala (FUNDESA) and Fundación G, reports Central AMericaData which earlier reported 100,000 members of drug gangs in the region.

The report “Drugs, Guns and Cash” states that “… these criminal organizations will eventually take control of agricultural and industrial markets in the region, determining prices and means of trade … while the United States loses its position and influence in Central America. As a result, a context will be created in the region where narco terrorism and other quasi-states flourish. Efforts to prevent this from happening must be made immediately and globally, if results are to be obtained. “

“… The carnage and destruction experienced in Colombia and Mexico is already at the door of the countries in Central America, with criminals whose resources are even greater today. “

“… The kind of solutions that can be chosen are not based on conventional methods, but require a results-oriented approach. “

“… Lessons learned from the past forty years in the struggle against drugs and organized crime mainly in South America and Mexico, give Central America a strategic advantage. The Central American crisis can be solved using cohesive intelligence, sharing strategies and combined operational tactics. Initiatives must be joint because it is impossible for isolated efforts to succeed, as has so far been demonstrated. The effort has to be consistent without borders and barriers that would hamper a holistic approach and without falling into perpetual bureaucracy which is easily taken over by criminal organizations. “