Colombia offers clues for solution to Mexico drug war
MEDELLÍN, COLOMBIA; AND MEXICO CITY — Medellín, once nearly synonymous with cocaine trafficking, used to be the epicenter of Colombia’s decades-long drug war - and one of the most dangerous places in the world.
But with increased military pressure on drug traffickers, urban planning heavily focused on social welfare, and an acknowledgment from Colombia and its major aid donor, the United States, that force alone does not work, Colombian cities such as Medellín have turned around dramatically.
Now the drug violence that made Colombia so notorious has migrated to Mexico, where the army’s July 29 killing of drug lord Ignacio “Nacho” Coronel was emblematic of escalating violence. Mexico is aiming to emulate Colombia’s success by placing more emphasis on the “softer approach” to eradicating organized crime. It’s a strategy that focuses not solely on sending in troops or disbanding cartels, but on arming communities with job opportunities and better education. But Mexico faces several challenges.
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