Dancing on a Volcano: The Latin American Drug Trade - Tapa blanda

"This book is an informative and well written piece of research on a contemporary issue 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 An examination of the economic and political impact of the drug trade (controlled substances such as cocaine, heroin, and marijuana) on the Americas. MacDonald is an investment banker specializing in risk analysis for Latin American issues. MacDonald's book considers political impact, economic impact, and the international relations impact of the trade in drugs for producing countries, transit countries, and receiving countries. Facts are documented, and the bibliography is adequate. Community college, undergraduate, and public libraries. - Choice

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.