Lines of blood : the drug war in Colombia

Author / Creator

Moser, Brian, 1935-

Available as

Online

Summary

This is a powerful investigation of the drug war which is raging in Colombia, the cocaine capital of the world. For almost a decade, the United States, backed by Britain and other Western countries...

This is a powerful investigation of the drug war which is raging in Colombia, the cocaine capital of the world. For almost a decade, the United States, backed by Britain and other Western countries, has tried to smash the powerful and wealthy drug cartels with little success. Coca growing has increased and has now spread into new areas. For 5,000 years the Indians of the Andes have relied on coca, the raw material of cocaine, to ease the harsh realities of their life. Coca has been at the very heart of their culture and economy. But when Western- ers began reducing it down to make cocaine, a savage industry of vast proportions was unleashed. Murder and terrorism have become commonplace as drug cartels protect their territory.The film criticizes the rigidity of U.S. policy which doggedly pursues the foreign producers and traffickers, while ignoring the domestic social problems that create the demand. Extradition of drug traders to stand trial in the United States has led to a blood bath against judges, politicians and law enforcement agents in Colombia. And meantime, poor people in inner cities of both countries have had their lives torn apart by the drug scourge.

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