Wolf Seiler

The War on Drugs and the Shaping of Hemispheric Policy: United States Hegemonial Politics, Drug Trade and Social Forces in Colombia and Mexico Wolf Seiler

After years of support for dictatorial regimes, United States foreign policy towards Latin America has changed since the 1980s. The issues that now dominate the agenda are the promotion of democracy in order to provide an environment suitable for liberal market economies and the War on Drugs that became the paramount Latin American issue in the American public perception as well as in the National Security Council. This shift of actual policies represents a continuation of the underlying goal of securing US hegemony in the Americas. With reference to Antonio Gramsci` s concept of hegemony, the author links the War on Drugs, counterinsurgency against left-wing guerrilla groups and democracy promotion, and presents a new framework for the understanding of US politics towards Latin America. This book is written for students and academics of Political Science who are looking for a fresh perspective on the War on Drugs. It may also appeal to students of American Studies and individuals interested in US foreign policy in the Americas.