Drug markets and violence in Colombia: Where do we stand, and how do we move forward?
Abstract
Violence linked to drug markets has been examined from multiple perspectives. In fact, referring to a single type of violence is inaccurate, as violent expressions occur across the different phases of production, trafficking, and commercialization, as well as in relation to substance use. Although Colombia is primarily a producer country, it also experiences other forms of violence connected to drug commercialization, local drug sales, and the establishment of criminal groups across its territories. The objective of this document is to review how the literature has addressed the issue of drug market-related violence in Latin America, to describe Colombia's current situation in this regard, and to provide policy recommendations based on this analysis.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Crime
Illicit Activities
and Governance
Conflict
Peace
and Violence in Colombia
Social Issues and Policies in Latin America
Publication details
- Journal / source
- International Journal of Drug Policy
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Volume
- 149
- Pages
- 105171–105171
- Publication date
- 24 January 2026
- Language
- EN