Illicit Drug Markets and Dimensions of Violence in Guatemala

This report investigates illegal drug trends in Guatemala and quantifies the extent of harm and violence occurring as a result. It also explores the subjects of drugs trafficking, illicit crops, the drugs market, socioeconomic indicators, and the law in order to suggest intelligent proposals for reform. The report goes on to make evidence-informed policy recommendations based on the Beckley Foundation Latin American Chapter‘s original research, which outlined reform and public engagement tactics that we hope will lead to public-health minded alternative approaches to the War on Drugs.

The Report is structured in three main sections:

Section I, Illicit Drug Markets in Guatemala, describes the current status of Guatemala’s drug markets, focusing on each step of the production/supply chain and on the key stakeholders involved.
Section II, The Legal Context of Punishment of Drug-Related Crimes, analyses Guatemala’s legal tools to address organised crime, and the way drug-related crimes are perceived and sanctioned.
Section III, The Multiple Dimensions of Violence and Proposals for Alternative Drug Policy, has a twofold objective. On one hand, it analyses the relationship between organised crime, prohibition, and violence. On the other hand, it lays out a summary of the proposals that the Beckley