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I’m sorry but you are emblematic of someone who has watched Narcos and thinks they understand 2020 Colombian politics and drug trade. Which cartels in Colombia

I’m sorry but you are emblematic of someone who has watched Narcos and thinks they understand 2020 Colombian politics and drug trade. Which cartels in Colombia are more powerful than the government? Also, at least get the spelling of the country right.

boomboomsubban 6y ago
Presumably Marquitos Figueroa, alleged to have illegally helped Márquez win election, would at least claim semi-equal status with the government.
- godelski 6y ago
  Not only this, but the cartels are literally shooting at government armed forces and effectively able to keep them at bay (hell, this even happens in Mexico). I did say >>> The cartels are big enough that the government can't fight them Maybe I should have said "the cartels are big enough that the government is ineffective at fighting against them" Which is more of an observation than anything else. Guerilla tactics are hard to fight against, as every America should be well aware of considering Vietnam and all our campaigns into the Middle East. "More powerful" wouldn't be the right descriptor here and is why I didn't use it. But they are gaining more power and subsequently the Colombian government is having a more difficult time combating them. It doesn't take a genius to realize that we've been using one tactic for 50 years and it hasn't worked. Though it does take a genius to figure out the solution to the problem. I'm not sure that legalization is the solution but I'm not sure it isn't either.
  - dontreact 6y ago
    Not only this, but the cartels are literally shooting at government armed forces and effectively able to keep them at bay (hell, this even happens in Mexico). I did say >>> The cartels are big enough that the government can't fight them First of all Colombia is not Mexico. Cartels have a much stronger presence there since they are the ones making most of the money from the drug trade, which comes from smuggling. My understanding of the drug trade that remains in Colombia is that there is a lot of volume of production but the profits are much smaller for those that run the trade relative to Mexico and relative to the 1980s. They are often not cartels as much anymore: they are the FARC and other militarized groups. Take your argument and instead apply it to gangs in the united states. They shoot at cops sometimes, and they are still around despite attempts to get rid of them. Does that make them more powerful than the government? It's not so much that gangs are so large and powerful that the government that they can't fight them. It's more what you are pivoting to now which is that it is possible to wage asymmetrical conflict long after losing the upper hand.

boomboomsubban 6y ago

Presumably Marquitos Figueroa, alleged to have illegally helped Márquez win election, would at least claim semi-equal status with the government.

godelski 6y ago
Not only this, but the cartels are literally shooting at government armed forces and effectively able to keep them at bay (hell, this even happens in Mexico). I did say >>> The cartels are big enough that the government can't fight them Maybe I should have said "the cartels are big enough that the government is ineffective at fighting against them" Which is more of an observation than anything else. Guerilla tactics are hard to fight against, as every America should be well aware of considering Vietnam and all our campaigns into the Middle East. "More powerful" wouldn't be the right descriptor here and is why I didn't use it. But they are gaining more power and subsequently the Colombian government is having a more difficult time combating them. It doesn't take a genius to realize that we've been using one tactic for 50 years and it hasn't worked. Though it does take a genius to figure out the solution to the problem. I'm not sure that legalization is the solution but I'm not sure it isn't either.
- dontreact 6y ago
  Not only this, but the cartels are literally shooting at government armed forces and effectively able to keep them at bay (hell, this even happens in Mexico). I did say >>> The cartels are big enough that the government can't fight them First of all Colombia is not Mexico. Cartels have a much stronger presence there since they are the ones making most of the money from the drug trade, which comes from smuggling. My understanding of the drug trade that remains in Colombia is that there is a lot of volume of production but the profits are much smaller for those that run the trade relative to Mexico and relative to the 1980s. They are often not cartels as much anymore: they are the FARC and other militarized groups. Take your argument and instead apply it to gangs in the united states. They shoot at cops sometimes, and they are still around despite attempts to get rid of them. Does that make them more powerful than the government? It's not so much that gangs are so large and powerful that the government that they can't fight them. It's more what you are pivoting to now which is that it is possible to wage asymmetrical conflict long after losing the upper hand.