Colombia

This Virtual Field trip was designed in effort to explain and perhaps shed some light on the ongoing violent drug wars taking place in Colombia and other locations associated with Colombian drug exports. This presentation references the geographic theme of movement. Movement here does not just refer to the spread of the physical drug product, but rather the spread of ideas, people, culture, violence, influence, and product from a couple isolated Colombian origins to the expansion in Colombia itself and also to other countries. This field trip focuses on the expansion into US cities and how the drug trade and industry has become so widespread and dominant in Colombia. It will also explore some methods for smuggling drugs from Colombia to the United States.

The origins of marijuana, the first major drug to be trafficked from Colombia to the US, will be discussed at a later stop, but first examine the supposed origins of the drug cartels, or drug gangs, themselves. According to stories, a now extinct (or so believed) society called the XII Santos made up of twelve men distinguished among their peers is the root of cartels in Colombia. They rose to power and gained much wealth and respect from the commoners. To them, the XII Santos were indeed saints, men who loved their country and gave back extremely charitably. To mark each man of the society, rings were made that displayed the roman numerals one through twelve on the outside and each person’s own numeral on the inside. It was said that these rings were then passed down to the next heir, welcoming them to the secret society. These men of power were believed to have led or had much power within four main cartels located in Colombia: the Medillin Cartel, the Cali Cartel, the Norte del Valle Cartel, and the North Coast Cartel.

Picture: Blocks of cocaine being confiscated in Colombia.