This study presents evidence of increasing regionalization of international trade among 10 South American countries from 1980 to 2001. Regionalization of trade in South America is best described as an increasing trade among Spanish-speaking countries and increasing trade within the two regional agreements, the Andean Community and Mercosur. There is also evidence of border erosion in the continent, especially among the Mercosur members. These results emerge from a simple statistical analysis and are also economically significant when tested in a consistent gravity equation that controls for a set of macroeconomic and geographic variables.
espanolResumen Este documento se deriva del analisis realizado a las narrativas de los pasantes de drogas ilicitas denominados popularmente como “mulas”; de manera especial, resalta su mirada localizada sobre el fenomeno del trafico ilegal de drogas en Colombia. El escrito tiene como objetivo: primero, caracterizar la multiplicidad de conceptos que se utilizan para describir este fenomeno y proponer una definicion que abarque diferentes acepciones, y segundo, presentar categorias conceptuales que se desprenden de las narrativas de los pasantes de drogas. Como metodologia se utilizo el analisis de contenido, para describir, sistematizar y analizar los testimonios voluntarios de 42 personas imputadas y condenadas como pasantes de drogas ilicitas en Colombia. Esta investigacion argumenta que uno de los elementos para entender el fenomeno de los pasantes de drogas ilicitas y su experiencia es su condicion de vulnerabilidad. Por un lado, los pasantes ocupan un lugar periferico en las organizaciones narcotraficantes; por otro, son altamente vulnerables al sistema socio-tecnico establecido por el Estado para prevenir el transporte de drogas ilicitas. Este estudio muestra que las narrativas de los pasantes de drogas se pueden categorizar en cuatro dicotomias, que sirven como elementos retoricos para la ruptura del binario legalidad/ilegalidad. EnglishAbstract This document derives from the analysis carried out on the accounts and narratives of illegal drug carriers popularly known as “pasantes”, more generally as mules, and in a special way, it stresses the view focused on the phenomenon of illicit drug trafficking in Colombia. The article’s objectives are: firstly to characterize the multiplicity of concepts used to describe this phenomenon and offer a definition capable of encompassing different meanings, and secondly to show conceptual categories stemming from the illicit drug accounts. The methodology used content analysis to describe, systematize and analyze the voluntary testimonies of 42 individuals accused and convicted in Colombia as illegal drug carriers. In this research it is argued that one of the various elements helping understand the mule phenomenon and their experience is their vulnerability conditions. On the one hand, they have a peripheral place in drug trafficker’s organizations. On the other hand, their vulnerability to the social-technical system established by the State to prevent illicit-drug transportation is very high. . This study shows that the mule’s narratives can be categorized into four dichotomies serving as rhetoric elements for the breaking of the legality/illegality binary. portuguesResumo Este documento e derivado da analise feita as narrativas dos passantes de drogas ilicitas chamadas popularmente “mulas”; da maneira especial, destaca sua olhada localizada no fenomeno do trafego ilegal de drogas esta na Colombia. O escrito tem como o objetivo: primeiramente, caracterizar a multiplicidade dos conceitos que sao usados descrever este fenomeno e propor uma definicao que abrange diferentes acepcoes, e segundo, apresentar categorias conceituais que se desprendem das narrativas dos passantes das drogas. Enquanto a metodologia foi usada a analise de conteudo, para descrever, sistematizar e analisar os testemunhos voluntarios de 42 pessoas imputadas e condenadas como passantes de drogas ilicitas na Colombia. Esta investigacao argumenta que um dos elementos para compreender o fenomeno dos passantes de drogas ilicitas e de sua experiencia e sua condicao da vulnerabilidade. De um lado, os passantes ocupam um lugar periferico nas organizacoes narcotraficantes; por outro, sao altamente vulneraveis ao sistema socio-tecnico estabelecido pelo Estado para impedir o transporte com drogas ilicitas. Este estudo amostra que as narrativas dos passantes das drogas podem se categorizar em quatro dicotomias, que funcionam como elementos retoricos para a ruptura do binario legalidade/ilegalidade.
International cocaine trafficking has been well-studied, but little is known about cocaine flows within Colombia, the largest producer and exporter of cocaine in the world. Using a unique dataset on the monthly wholesale prices of cocaine across 32 municipios in 2016, this paper estimates patterns of flows of cocaine within Colombia. For the 496 possible resulting pairs of municipios, price differentials are used to infer direction of flow, and price correlations are used to infer connectedness. Among the new findings, 38 suspected municipio-to-municipio flows that are new to the literature are identified. Interestingly, cocaine is inferred to flow through two distinct networks: one that originates in Buenaventura and the other in three points in southern and eastern Colombia. These networks may correspond to distinct criminal trafficking systems, a finding that has potential implications for drug control policies and measures.
This paper aims to explain the emergence of an antinarcotics network operating between Colombia and several other Latin American and Caribbean countries. This paper first maps out Colombia's antinarcotics deep collaboration, using formal Social Network Analysis (SNA) and centrality measurements to identify the structural locations and evolution of Colombia's transnational joint antinarcotics operations from 2010 to 2015. Second, it explores the reasons why Colombia has engaged in an increasing number of multilateral operations at a regional level with its neighboring countries in the last years. The results illustrate that since 2015, there have been policies that embrace a growing number of multilateral operations at the regional level, despite the fact that Colombia's coordinated antinarcotics responses have so far been mostly bilateral (e.g., coordinated with the US and UK). This diversification has been promoted by multilateral regional antinarcotics agreements like AMERIPOL, whose structures are more conducive to a cooperative approach, and reflects an emergent sense among Latin American countries that drug trafficking is their shared problem and responsibility.
This study presents evidence of the increasing regionalization of the international trade of ten South American countries from 1980 to 2001. We found that the regionalization of trade in South America is best described as an increasing trade among Spanish-speaking countries and increasing trade within the two regional agreements: Andean Community and Mercosur. We also find evidence of border erosion in the continent, especially among the Mercosur members. These results are evident in a simple statistical analysis and are also economically significant when tested in a consistent gravity equation that controls for a set of macroeconomic and geographic variables.
In the creation of trade policy, business actors have the most influence in setting policy. This article identifies and explains variations in how economic interest groups use policy networks to affect trade policymaking. This article uses formal social network analysis (SNA) to explore the patterns of articulation or a policy network between the government and business at the national level within regional trade agreements. The empirical discussion herein focuses on Brazil and the setting of exceptions list to Mercosur’s common external tariff. It specifically concentrates on the relations between the Brazilian executive branch and ten economic subsectors. The article finds that the patterns of articulation of these policy networks matter and that sectors with stronger ties to key government decision-makers have a structural advantage in influencing trade policy and obtaining and/or maintaining their desired, privileged trade policies, compared with sectors that are connected to government actors with weak decision-making power, but might have numerous and diversified connections. Therefore, sectors that have a strong pluralist–clientelist policy structure with connections to government actors with decision-making power have greater potential for achieving their target policies compared with more corporatist policy networks.
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