FARC and the Drug Trade Steve Tynes

FARC: The Early Years From inception (1964) to approximately 1978, the FARC rejected drug trade, even marijuana cultivation Leaders thought coca, drug trafficking was anti-revolutionary As a result of the “security dilemma”, the FARC integrated into the drug trade in the 1980s (Norman, 2017) FARC’s support of the drug trade, which was its eventual downfall, was key to growing its organization in the 1980s (Norman, 2017) Bulleted supporting information

FARC: Coca Integration Between 1982-1991, drug relations were at their peak between FARC and local trafficking organizations (Norman, 2017) FARC provided protection to traffickers in rural, jungle areas and received payoffs in return Expansion of paramilitaries into FARC-controlled territory ultimately led to the degradation of FARC-trafficker relations in the late 1980s (Norman, 2017) Bulleted supporting information

FARC and Coca – was it Helpful or Harmful? Norman argues that FARC’s drug-trade regulation was a public good (Norman, 2017) Others, such as Brittain, blame the government of Colombia for creating the conditions that necessitated the drug trade (Brittain, 2010) FARC’s regulation provided stable prices to traffickers, protections for peasants, and built up its own military capabilities Land centralization, neoliberal economic policies “devastated” small producers (Brittain, 2010) Bulleted supporting information

FARC: 1991-Present FARC moved away from trafficking organizations due to the latter’s involvement with paramilitaries (AUC) This led to the FARC evicting dealers and “monopolizing local coca markets under a one-buyer system” (Norman, 2017) Some FARC “fronts” (organizational blocs) facilitated shift from coca to traditional crops (Brittain, 2010) FARC punished some local buyers with death (Norman, 2017) Bulleted supporting information

FARC: 1991-Present Bulleted supporting information Paramilitary expansion, Norman 2017, Page 651 Figure 2

FARC: 1991-Present Increased military pressure led to decentralization of FARC leadership Some turned increasingly to trafficking, operating laboratories and directly trafficking coca, other narcotics AUC demobilized in 2005, which Norman argues was the “critical event” which “deepened FARC’s participation in the drug trade” (Norman 2017) FARC’s involvement in the drug trade was arguably exaggerated by the GOC to secure U.S. support, and funding Bulleted supporting information

FARC: Trafficking Conclusions FARC’s involvement in drug trade was not profit-driven, but necessity-driven argue Norman, Brittain, and others FARC’s involvement with trafficking made peace much more difficult, ultimately undermined initial revolutionary goals Unlikely the United States becomes so involved in the conflict without FARC’s ties to trafficking The money gained from trafficking was utilized to further military goals Bulleted supporting information

QUESTIONS?