Seeking Alternatives to Repression: Drug Policies and the Rule of Law in Colombia

For the past 30 years, Colombia has played a central role in transnational drug trafficking. Due to this phenomenon, and its attendant national and international pressures, the country has developed highly repressive drug policies. This article analyzes the recent evolution of such policies and discusses some possibilities of change within the current context. The first part describes the evolution of drug policies in Colombia from the early twentieth century to the present, and shows that there has been a progressively hardening of the punitive approach, which is usually a result of the influence of the international framework and of reactive internal measures in response to violent episodes, exacting a high price on democracy, human rights and institutions. The second part discusses possibilities in the new Colombian and international context for changes in drug policies. Through this reflection, the article offers insights for the debate on policy alternatives.