The designation by the United States of certain drug cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) and of fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction has reinforced both the country’s imperial policies and the legal framework through which sovereign authority over life and death is justified. This is evidenced by the bombing of vessels in the Caribbean, the abduction of Nicolás Maduro, the imposition of economic sanctions, and threats to deploy military forces into Mexican territory. At the same time, drug cartels in countries such as Mexico have historically been embedded within the country’s political, cultural, economic, and territorial constitution. This has given rise to a context in which multiple expressions of sovereignty and legal authority coexist.
To better understand the role of drug cartels in Mexico, undergraduate students at Princeton University critically examined the history of drug trafficking in Mexico and the United States after engaging with the philosophical works of Thomas Hobbes, Carl von Clausewitz, Michel Foucault, Achille Mbembe, and Sayak Valencia. In this blog, readers will find podcasts produced by the students featuring interviews with leading experts on these issues.
Enjoy!
Dr. María Bacilio.
Postdoctoral Fellow & Lecturer, Program in Latin American Studies, Princeton University
Image: Mexican Leviathan Frontispice
Artist: Satya Chatillon
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