Latin American Current issues http://www.slideshare.net/e007534/todays-issues-in-latin-america Lesson #3

Current Issues in Latin America Disparity of Wealth America’s involvement Drugs and drug trafficking Illegal Immigration Current Trade issues

Disparity of Wealth

The Richest man in Latin America Carlos Slim Helú [ˈkaɾlos esˈlim eˈlu]; a Mexican business magnate, investor, and philanthropist From 2010 to 2013, Slim was ranked as the richest person in the world. Known as the "Warren Buffett of Mexico“ has extensive holdings in a number of Mexican companies has amassed a fortune in the fields of communications, real estate, airlines, media, technology, retailing, and finance. Currently the chairperson and chief executive of Latin America's largest mobile-phone carrier in 2010 His net worth as of December 2014 is estimated at $72.6 billion. Top five richest men in the World (1915) Bill Gates (net worth $76 billion), Carlos Slim Helu (net worth $72 billion) Amancio Ortega (net worth $64 billion) (Spanish fashion executive ) Warren Buffett (net worth $58.2 billion) Larry Ellison (net worth $48 billion). He’s dropped to #7 as of 2017: http://indianexpress.com/article/business/richest-people-in-the-world-bloomberg-bill-gates-warren-buffett-mark-zuckerberg-jeff-bezos-koch-brothers-2878601/

Poverty in Latin America

Pablo Escobar Was a notorious and wealthy Colombian drug lord and an exclusive cocaine trafficker. In 1983, he had a short-lived career in Colombian politics click

America’s involvement

Reason to build the canal Click – 2 min trip through canal

America’s greatest structure: Click – how the locks work

How they built the canal Click – building the canal

PANAMA CANAL

Expansion project

What gives us authority to meddle in Latin America?

Monroe Doctrine

Example in modern times: Iran-contra affair, in U.S. history, secret arrangement in the 1980s to provide funds to the Nicaraguan contra rebels from profits gained by selling arms to Iran. The Iran-contra affair was the product of two separate initiatives during the administration of President Ronald Reagan

Is the Monroe Doctrine now “over”? Secretary of State John Kerry to the Organization of American States (OAS) (2013): U.S. has “asserted our authority to step in and oppose the influence of European powers in Latin America. And throughout our nation’s history, successive presidents have reinforced that doctrine and made a similar choice.” The policy has been a backbone of U.S. foreign policy both in the Western Hemisphere and abroad since it was delivered in December 1823. “Today, however, we have made a different choice. The era of the Monroe Doctrine is over…. The relationship that we seek and that we have worked hard to foster is not about a United States declaration about how and when it will intervene in the affairs of other American states. It’s about all of our countries viewing one another as equals, Does this represent a dramatic break in American foreign policy?

Drugs and Drug Trafficking

Drug Products Mainly three drugs are exported from the region Cocaine from Columbia, Peru, Bolivia Coca is ONLY found in Andes Marijuana from Jamaica Heroin from Columbia (from opium poppies)

I. Drug Trade from Latin America Plants used to produce drugs Poppy Plant Coca Plant For Opium For Cocaine

Results of Drug Trade Effects of Cocaine $51 billion cost to government / year 1.5 million arrests / year 2 million currently in jail for drug crimes (1/100 of population – most in world) Effects of Heroin (an opiate)

Drug Smuggling 90% of all US cocaine enters via Mexico was via the Caribbean into Florida United States imports 75 % of their exports The major drug trafficking organizations (drug cartels) are Mexican and Colombian generate $20 to $40 billion “Mules” are used to carry drugs click Bricks of Cocaine

Where it drugs come from

… and where they go…

How drugs get here

The Old Way:

The new way: narco-submarine click

The narco-sub, not submerged…

To stop drug importation:

Increase in last couple years

What’s the answer? How do we slow/stop importation?

II. ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION Smuggling Trafficking click

Definitions false pretenses pays for assistance Trafficking – a person is trafficked if she/he agrees under to relocate for employment reasons and is forced into involuntary forms of Labor Smuggling – a person is smuggled if she/he seeks and to cross borders without documents, but is allegedly free once arriving in the new country false pretenses pays for assistance

Definitions false pretenses Trafficking – a person is trafficked if she/he agrees under to relocate for employment reasons and is forced into involuntary forms of Labor false pretenses

Definitions pays for assistance Smuggling – a person is smuggled if she/he seeks and to cross borders without documents, but is allegedly free once arriving in the new country pays for assistance

Why do people sneak into the US? The main reason people CHOOSE to break the law and illegally immigrate is for and for jobs that Mexico does not have. higher wages

Smuggling Smuggling means someone helps the illegal into the US. That person is called Coyotes charge from $300 to $50,000 per person. Often, the price is so high, the illegal will spend years of FORCED LABOR paying off debt. Sometimes… forever… coyotes

Common Sites of Forced Labor Agriculture and food processing Construction Domestic Workers Restaurants Assembly plants Garment and textile workers Sex industry

Estimates of Force Labor Exact figures are difficult to calculate because trafficking is illegal and hidden women, men and children are victims of forced labor yearly 1.4 million are in commercial sex work 760,000 are economically exploited 600,000 are in mixed commercially and sexually exploited 2.4 million

Human Trafficking 4 million 7-10 billion Human Trafficking – Modern slavery Over persons trafficked a year – U.N. estimate dollar a year illegal industry Third largest illegal industry in the world (drugs and arms sales) 4 million 7-10 billion

What are we doing about it? The Justice Department created a unit to pursue human trafficking cases The FBI currently has 212 ongoing human trafficking investigations The Justice Department has initiated 60 investigations in the past four months. Last year, federal prosecutors charged 222 defendants and won 98 convictions.

Image analysis

Combination of maps and graphs What does this image show about the relationship we have with Mexico?

Current Trade Look for details… Who do these guys represent? What are these guys doing that might not be good for us? Who is this? Who does he represent?

Friday documentaries Human Trafficking (45min) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vX5ReSxBaFw

Commercial break (… in case you were having a bad day…)