Life in the Colombian Cocain Trade Essay -- essays research papers

Colombian Cocaine Trade Cocaine is produced from the Coca plants usually found in the mountain climates of Colombia. The first cocaine alkaloid was not achieved until 1855. The cocaine alkaloid was first isolated by a German Chemist Friedrick Gaedcke. Cocaine was first used in the 1880’s as an anesthetic in eye, nose, and throat surgeries because of its capability to provide anesthesia as well as to constrict blood vessels and limit bleeding. Its therapeutic applications are obsolete in this day and age because of the technological advances to produce safer drugs . Cocaine is the most devastating and potent stimulant of the natural realm. In this paper I will be discussing the history of cocaine, the impact in the world, and lastly the War on Drugs. Dating back thousands of years the South American Indigenous people have chewed the coca leaf. The leaf contains important nutrients and can be life saving to a person who hasn’t eaten for days. When the Spaniards conquered South America they discovered that the claims of the leaf being nutritious were true and started taxing 10% of the value of the crop . The taxes actually became the main source of support for the Roman Catholic Church in the region. In 1999, Colombia remained the world's leading producer of cocaine. Three quarters of the world's annual yield of cocaine is produced there. In the year 2000, Columbia still remains the world's leading producer of the drug .   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The coca cultivation that goes on in the Andean jungle is damaging the health of the environment in the region. The main threats to the environment are deforestation caused by clearing the fields for cultivation, soil erosion caused by several factors, and chemical pollution from insecticides and fertilizers. The process of mixing coca and poppy into cocaine and heroine has devastating effects on the environment as well. These environmental issues are difficult to address due to coca being a traditional crop and trade item, the influence and wealth of the drug traffickers opposing restrictions, and the issue of national sovereignty. Most realize the social impact of the drug trade worldwide, but few realize the environmental impact. The natives who used to live on eating the fish from the rivers no longer are able to find any edible fish.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Polluti... ... and a peasant. Escobar started his legacy of being a notorious ruthless cocaine distributor in the 1970’s. By the 1980’s Escobar’s cartel was responsible for over 80% of the worlds cocaine productivity. Between 1984 & 1987, fifteen judges and numerous other governmental figures were assassinated in streets of Medellin. By 1993 credited with killing more than 200 judges, an attorney general, three presidential candidates, estimated 1000 police officers, dozens of journalists, and thirty kidnappings. Escobar's killing in December 1993 ended a long terror campaign that shook Colombia to its core. The drug lord's gang set off bombs, downed an airliner and killed dozens of police officers and officials to coerce the government to not extradite drug suspects to the United States. The United States for some time has been helping Columbia with military aid, including training and intelligence gathering. Special units from the military, CIA, FBI, DEA, and half dozen other agencies, in conjunction special units of the Columbian police , were all responsible for the take down of Pablo Escobar and friends. This was also labeled one of the greatest take downs in the history of Colombia.