Article Title
Mexico, Drug Trafficking Organizations, Realism, and Human Security
Abstract
Before traveling to Mexico, citizens of the United States are advised to check travel warnings for the country. Violence due to the war on drugs is causing people to be weary of visiting ruins from complex pre-Colombian cultures and enjoying the rich tourist industry Mexico provides. In place of cultural and economic highlights, it is now heavily associated with drug trafficking organizations and the violence associated with them. Much of this is due to the war on drugs, declared by President Felipe Calderon in 2006, which escalated the conflict between the state and the drug traffickers and drew increasing worldwide media attention to the issue. In light of these facts, we must question the strategy and effectiveness of Calderon’s campaign and its effect on the global community’s perceptions of the country. The theories of Realism and Human Security both offer insight on how Mexico is attempting to regain complete sovereignty over the nation and how the drug trafficking organizations are viewed on both national and international stages.
Faculty Mentor: Shawn Smallman