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Organized crime and security : drug cartels : the global capacity of a rising security threat
Ibáñez de Foerster, Marcela ; Balabán, Miloš (advisor) ; Střítecký, Vít (referee)
Over the last four decades organized crime groups, particularly, drug trafficking organizations or drug cartels, have managed to be under the spotlight of the security agendas of American countries such as Colombia and the United States. During the last two decades, however, the global securitization of the drug trafficking issue, has led them to become a major security threat not only for the Americas, but also for Europe and more recently for West African countries. These organizations pose a threat not only to the security of the state, but to the very essence of it, by corrupting and damaging everything they come in contact with at the political, social, economical and even cultural level. This graduate thesis presents an analysis on Latin American drug trafficking organizations or drugs cartels, as they are commonly known, focusing on the cases of Colombian and Mexican drug cartels. By comparing these two case studies, I suggest that today's Mexican drug trafficking organizations have gained their momentum and incommensurable strength by following the footsteps of the big three Colombian drug cartels that existed between the 1980s and 1990s. The first chapter will expose the definitions and concepts surrounding the research of organized crime. In the second and third chapters, both the...
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International legal instruments for fighting illegal drug trafficking
Mifková, Miroslava ; Šturma, Pavel (advisor) ; Ondřej, Jan (referee)
Resumé International trafficking in drugs is one of the gravest global issues. Its combating deserves due attention. In the course of the last hundred years, a series of international conventions were adopted for this cause. The crucial international legal instruments for combating illicit drug trafficking are the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs (1961), the Convention on Psychotropic Substances (1971) and foremost, the United Nations Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (1988). The first two Conventions focus primarily on legal manipulation with narcotic and psychotropic substances via administrative measures. The goal is to limit them for medical and scientific use only and thus prevent their transfer into illegal channels. The third Convention deals with drug control via criminal law measures. The Parties to the Convention are to incriminate certain offences connected to drug trafficking and apply appropriate sanctions. The Convention also introduces measures against the transfer of proceedings of crime. It further deals with confiscation, extradition, jurisdiction issues and mutual legal assistance. The main bodies in the international fight against illegal trafficking are the UN Commission on Narcotics, International Narcotics Control Board and UN Office...
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Security Situation in Columbia in a Context of the Drug Trafficking and its Impact on the Region
Kačírek, Lukáš ; Střítecký, Vít (advisor) ; Krausz Hladká, Malvína (referee)
The thesis is concerned with the drug trade in Colombia, country with the largest drug production in the world. It is aimed especially at the age of drug cartels that used to have an eminent impact on the country's security situation. Firstly, it explains the main causes of the Colombian conflict. Afterwards, cartels from Medellín and Cali are introduced. After their downfall, they were shortly replaced by the Norte del Valle cartel. This cartel was however less successful in the drug field. After the downfall of the two important cartels, the drug field splintered. The thesis is briefly focused on the present situation as well. Guerilla groups also play a significant role in the conflict, thus one of the chapters is dedicated to them. Specific chapter is concerned with the reflection of the USA in the conflict - it introduces their role during the first half of the twentieth century as well as Plan Colombia. The last chapter discusses Colombia's relations with regional states in the crucial era from the view of drug trade. These states are specifically Peru, Bolivia and Mexico. The end of the thesis evaluates what kind of a state Colombia was in the second half of the twentieth century according to the Robert Rotberg's state theory.
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"U.S.-Mexican Counterdrug Security Cooperation: The Merida Initiative a Possible Solution?"
Paulino Rosario, Leandra ; Raška, Francis (advisor) ; Anděl, Petr (referee)
Mexico and the United States share not only an approximately 3000 km border but also important roles concerning drug traffic. With the U.S. as the major consumer and Mexico as its principal supplier, they make the perfect supply and demand equation. As a result, they share the threats related to drug traffic which affects the political, social, and economic level of both countries. During the last decade, the Mexican drug cartels have gained control of the drug entering the United States, so Mexico is a crucial issue in drug matters to their American neighbors. Currently, both nations accepted a shared responsibility in drug traffic cases and are working hand in hand to limit the capabilities of DTOs, but there remains the open question if such efforts are significantly useful. This thesis presents an analysis of the U.S. influence on the escalation of the fight against illicit drugs in Mexico during Bush and Obama administrations and the effectiveness of the counter-drug assistance program: the Merida Initiative. I argue that the Merida Initiative has been successful improving the U.S.-Mexican relations regarding bilateral counter-drug policies. However, the Mexican drug cartels have reached their momentum and seem to be leading the drug market. Besides, it is necessary to pursue a critical...
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Security Situation in Columbia in a Context of the Drug Trafficking and its Impact on the Region
Kačírek, Lukáš ; Střítecký, Vít (advisor) ; Krausz Hladká, Malvína (referee)
The thesis is concerned with the drug trade in Colombia, country with the largest drug production in the world. It is aimed especially at the age of drug cartels that used to have an eminent impact on the country's security situation. Firstly, it explains the main causes of the Colombian conflict. Afterwards, cartels from Medellín and Cali are introduced. After their downfall, they were shortly replaced by the Norte del Valle cartel. This cartel was however less successful in the drug field. After the downfall of the two important cartels, the drug field splintered. The thesis is briefly focused on the present situation as well. Guerilla groups also play a significant role in the conflict, thus one of the chapters is dedicated to them. Specific chapter is concerned with the reflection of the USA in the conflict - it introduces their role during the first half of the twentieth century as well as Plan Colombia. The last chapter discusses Colombia's relations with regional states in the crucial era from the view of drug trade. These states are specifically Peru, Bolivia and Mexico. The end of the thesis evaluates what kind of a state Colombia was in the second half of the twentieth century according to the Robert Rotberg's state theory.
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"U.S.-Mexican Counterdrug Security Cooperation: The Merida Initiative a Possible Solution?"
Paulino Rosario, Leandra ; Raška, Francis (advisor) ; Anděl, Petr (referee)
Mexico and the United States share not only an approximately 3000 km border but also important roles concerning drug traffic. With the U.S. as the major consumer and Mexico as its principal supplier, they make the perfect supply and demand equation. As a result, they share the threats related to drug traffic which affects the political, social, and economic level of both countries. During the last decade, the Mexican drug cartels have gained control of the drug entering the United States, so Mexico is a crucial issue in drug matters to their American neighbors. Currently, both nations accepted a shared responsibility in drug traffic cases and are working hand in hand to limit the capabilities of DTOs, but there remains the open question if such efforts are significantly useful. This thesis presents an analysis of the U.S. influence on the escalation of the fight against illicit drugs in Mexico during Bush and Obama administrations and the effectiveness of the counter-drug assistance program: the Merida Initiative. I argue that the Merida Initiative has been successful improving the U.S.-Mexican relations regarding bilateral counter-drug policies. However, the Mexican drug cartels have reached their momentum and seem to be leading the drug market. Besides, it is necessary to pursue a critical...
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The US-Mexico Cooperation to Combat the International Threat of Drug Trafficking
Švejdová, Anna ; Rolenc, Jan Martin (advisor) ; Demková, Marcela (referee)
Mexico and the US are facing a transnational threat in the form of drug trafficking. This paper focuses on the US-Mexico cooperation to combat this threat with the objective to evaluate its effectiveness. First, a theoretical base is set for a constructivist analysis of the cooperation by identifying changes that have resulted from the new post-international environment. An explanation of the rise of transnational threats and the ways they are constructed is given according to constructivism and the securitization theory as used by the Copenhagen school of security studies. This leads to an examination of how the threat posed by drug trafficking is perceived by Mexico and by the US and identifies why drug trafficking is indeed a transnational threat. To answer the question of the US-Mexico's effectiveness in this cooperation, a constructivist approach is used to identify the main flaws of their relation. Finally, an analysis of how these flaws have affected the forming and enforcement of specific anti-drug strategies is used to assess its impact
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U.S. policies to combat Mexican drug trafficking organizations
Vajda, Jan ; Střítecký, Vít (advisor) ; Ludvík, Zdeněk (referee)
This master thesis deals with policies of United States of America in combat against Mexican drug cartels, which are responsible for overwhelming majority of drugs flowing into USA. Although huge demand for drugs by U.S. citizens is crucial aspect in a long-term, this work put emphasis on immediate solutions, which would weaken the general position of cartels and therefore limit the flow of drugs into the country. Drug cartels are perceived as transnational criminal organizations a research aims to find out whether USA acknowledge this fact and whether they adapt their policies. The subjects of this research are two documents - cooperation with Mexico under the Mérida Initiative and U.S. Strategy to Combat Transnational Organized Crime. Threats of organized crime and goals in fight against it presented in these two documents serve as reference points and basis for evaluation of U.S. actions.
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Organized crime and security : drug cartels : the global capacity of a rising security threat
Ibáñez de Foerster, Marcela ; Balabán, Miloš (advisor) ; Střítecký, Vít (referee)
Over the last four decades organized crime groups, particularly, drug trafficking organizations or drug cartels, have managed to be under the spotlight of the security agendas of American countries such as Colombia and the United States. During the last two decades, however, the global securitization of the drug trafficking issue, has led them to become a major security threat not only for the Americas, but also for Europe and more recently for West African countries. These organizations pose a threat not only to the security of the state, but to the very essence of it, by corrupting and damaging everything they come in contact with at the political, social, economical and even cultural level. This graduate thesis presents an analysis on Latin American drug trafficking organizations or drugs cartels, as they are commonly known, focusing on the cases of Colombian and Mexican drug cartels. By comparing these two case studies, I suggest that today's Mexican drug trafficking organizations have gained their momentum and incommensurable strength by following the footsteps of the big three Colombian drug cartels that existed between the 1980s and 1990s. The first chapter will expose the definitions and concepts surrounding the research of organized crime. In the second and third chapters, both the...
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International legal instruments for fighting illegal drug trafficking
Mifková, Miroslava ; Šturma, Pavel (advisor) ; Ondřej, Jan (referee)
Resumé International trafficking in drugs is one of the gravest global issues. Its combating deserves due attention. In the course of the last hundred years, a series of international conventions were adopted for this cause. The crucial international legal instruments for combating illicit drug trafficking are the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs (1961), the Convention on Psychotropic Substances (1971) and foremost, the United Nations Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (1988). The first two Conventions focus primarily on legal manipulation with narcotic and psychotropic substances via administrative measures. The goal is to limit them for medical and scientific use only and thus prevent their transfer into illegal channels. The third Convention deals with drug control via criminal law measures. The Parties to the Convention are to incriminate certain offences connected to drug trafficking and apply appropriate sanctions. The Convention also introduces measures against the transfer of proceedings of crime. It further deals with confiscation, extradition, jurisdiction issues and mutual legal assistance. The main bodies in the international fight against illegal trafficking are the UN Commission on Narcotics, International Narcotics Control Board and UN Office...
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