War on Drugs

RIO DE JANEIRO

Drug Dealers Trade Crime for Peace in Rio de Janeiro

By Fabiola Ortiz
Tuchinha was once a drug lord in Rio de Janeiro’s Mangueira favela. But today he is helping youngsters in this Brazilian city turn their lives around and leave behind crime, prison and the likelihood of an early death.

Libya Fights Increased Drug Trafficking

By Maryline Dumas
In Libya, a dose of LSD or the painkiller tramadol costs 78 cents, and a joint of cannabis is 7.80 dollars. Here, drugs are affordable to the poor for a simple reason. “Slashing prices is a way to create demand and open up a market,” a Western diplomat tells IPS in Tripoli, the capital.

A Memorial of White Scarves Protests Calderón’s Legacy

By Daniela Pastrana
Each scarf represents a life cut short. Each stitch, a tear. Each thread, a cry of frustration about death and impunity.

East European War on Drugs Fails

By Ed Holt
When the Global Commission on Drug Policy, which advocates an end to what it says has been a failed ‘war on drugs’, held its latest working meeting in Warsaw last month, the choice of venue was apt.

Citizens’ Tribunal Brings Charges Against Mexican President

By Emilio Godoy
Conservative outgoing Mexican President Felipe Calderón is to face a ballot again - not to compete for public office but to receive the verdict of a citizens' trial that is accusing him of violating the constitution.