Dancing on a Volcano: The Latin American Drug Trade

This book is an informative and well written piece of research on a contemporary issues of major interest to the United States. . . . Most highly recommended. La Red/The Net Provides in one place a well written survey of the problem of the drug trade in the Americas, especially on the socio-economic and political aspects of the phenomena. The book will serve as a useful resource to persons working in Latin American drug trade. Caribbean Review This short book is an excellent introduction to the complicated history and turbulent present-day status of illegal drugs in several Latin American neighborhoods. National Catholic News Service This provocative, informative book explores what is rapidly becoming a major obstacle in inter-American relations. Despite the common problems created by increasing drug addiction and drug-related violence, each side continues to blame the other for the deepening crisis. There is, MacDonald states emphatically, enough blame to go around for everyone. He puts the Latin American drug trade in much-needed perspective, providing both historical backgrund and insight on the contemporary political ramifications of drug trafficking. Because the drug trade is an inter-American phenomenon, the solution to it will have to be a joint one. Among the problems that will have to be faced, according to the author, are Cuba's role as an active middleman in the drug trade, the U.S. market for illegal drugs, the impact of the drug trade on U.S. policy in the region, and the interrelationship of the drug problem to the Latin Americn debt crisis. He warns that there will be no quick victories in the war on drugs in Latin America and the strategies used must attack both supply and demand. Whatever the approach used, its success or failure will depend on the ability of both the United Stataes and the Latin American nations to contain the drugs-insurgence nexus and to deal with the increasingly political nature of the drug trade.

Table of Contents:
Dancing on a Volcano: The Latin American Drug Trade The Historical Perspective: The Incas' Revenge? Colombia: The Volcano's Core Where Cocaine is King: Bolivia and Peru All Things to All People: Mexico The Caribbean Producers: Jamaica and Belize The Transit States The Cuban and Nicaraguan Connection Avoiding the Eruption: Searching for Solutions Bibliography Index

About the Author :
SCOTT B. MACDONALD is Chief International Economist at Maryland National Corporation International Bank. Prior to that, he was the senior international economist at American Security Bank in Washington, D.C. (1986-87) and the unit manager for international and specialized industries in the loan administration at Connecticut National Bank in Hartford, Connecticut (1985-86). Dr. MacDonald has written over 100 articles, appearing in such publications as The Times of the Americas, Journal of Interamerican Studies and World Affairs, and Caribbean Review. He is also the author of Trinidad and Tobago: Democracy and Development in the Caribbean (1986) and coauthor of The Caribbean After Grenada: Revolution, Conflict and Democarcy (forthcoming 1988). Currently, he is working on a fourth book, The Caribbean Basin Sugar Crisis: A Descent into Hell.

Review :
?MacDonald's book fills a useful gap therefore, and is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand a bit more about one of the worst social problems of our times. In 150 odd pages he gives an historical overview of the problem before focusing on the major countries involved, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia and Mexico especially. He also examines the role of what he calls the transit states, ' places like Panama and the Bahamas, where drugs are physically transhipped, and the proceeds laundered through compliant banking institutions.?-Money International ?Provides in one place a well written survey of the problem of the drug trade in the Americas, especially on the socio-economic and political aspects of the phenomena. The book will serve as a useful resource to persons working in Latin American drug trade.?-Caribbean Review ?This book is an informative and well written piece of research on a contemporary issues of major interest to the United States. . . . Most highly recommended.?-La Red/The Net ?This short book is an excellent introduction to the complicated history and turbulent present-day status of illegal drugs in several Latin American neighborhoods.?-National Catholic News Service "Provides in one place a well written survey of the problem of the drug trade in the Americas, especially on the socio-economic and political aspects of the phenomena. The book will serve as a useful resource to persons working in Latin American drug trade."-Caribbean Review "This book is an informative and well written piece of research on a contemporary issues of major interest to the United States. . . . Most highly recommended."-La Red/The Net "This short book is an excellent introduction to the complicated history and turbulent present-day status of illegal drugs in several Latin American neighborhoods."-National Catholic News Service "MacDonald's book fills a useful gap therefore, and is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand a bit more about one of the worst social problems of our times. In 150 odd pages he gives an historical overview of the problem before focusing on the major countries involved, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia and Mexico especially. He also examines the role of what he calls the transit states, ' places like Panama and the Bahamas, where drugs are physically transhipped, and the proceeds laundered through compliant banking institutions."-Money International