Shedding light on prohibition: The south american origins of the “war on drugs”

Abstract

The present article hopes to contribute to a growing literature that challenges the dominant interpretations of the “war on drugs,” which assume that South America has been merely a recipient and victim of external drug policy models. Through the analysis of official documents, protocols of diplomatic conferences and media reports, the article shows that since the 1970s South American governments promoted and developed prohibitionist drug policies based on their own interests and initiatives. This new contextualization helps understanding why prohibition remains the most important approach to drug policy today, despite its evident failure.