Latin America

Playing F.A.S.T and loose in the drugs war

The global War on Drugs - like so many other government initiatives that begin with a noble, limited and understandable purpose - has swelled in time to become a costly, vague and chaotic operation of monstrous and bloody proportions. 

    Journalism in Latin America

    A recent report on the coverage of drug traffiking in Latin America reveals both the dangers journalists face in the Americas and the need for a new approach to covering organised crime. The report summarises the deliberations of nearly 50 journalists and academics, who gathered at the University of Texas this May. This was made possible due to the collaboration of the Open Society Media Programme, the Latin America Programme and the Knight Centre for Journalism. The findings are therefore important and may be surprising.

      Shoveling Water: War on drugs, War on people

      See video

      This short film is produced by Witness for Peace. It considers the human and environmental costs of the disastrous ongoing efforts to eradicate coca production in Colombia using aerial fumigation. The film features occasional Transform blogger Sanho Tree, a drug policy analyst from the Washington based Institute for Policy Studies

        Slideshow: War on Latin America

        See video

        Slideshow: War on Latin America.

        The biggest casualty of 'the war on drugs' is the source . . . Latin America

          Report on cultivation of the coca-leaf

          See video

          This video is an official news reporting on the findings of a research conducted by National Committee for the Development and Life without Drugs( DEVIDA), Peru. Romulo Pizarro, in his interviewe, highlights the figures relating to the damage being caused to the environment by coca-growing. He said it caused deforestation of the Amazon area, pollution of water and was damaging to personal health as well. He stresses the need that coca-growers be turned into proprietors of land and entrepreneurs, to stop the link between coca and drug-related crime.

          Hugo Chavez chews coca paste

          See video

          This very brief video shows Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez declaring on the floor of the Parliament that every morning he chews coca paste. This video was produced by Noticias Venezuela, news portal on Youtube.com

          Syndicate content

          All of the content on TalkingDrugs is produced by volunteers, if you would like to get involved email: volunteers@talkingdrugs.org