How drug trafficking has transcended Colombian history and society

Abstract

During the 1960s, a drug trafficking boom emerged, known as the "marimba boom." In this context, Colombia was influenced by various factors affecting drug production and distribution. These factors included high US demand, the great Colombian need to overcome the aftermath of the period of violence (1925-1958), and the limited jurisdiction Colombia had at that time. This was not one of the best, leaving the most marginalized areas dependent on their own means of support. However, this has not been the only brush the Colombian people have had with drug trafficking. During the 1980s, drug trafficking boomed due to the high demand for cocaine around the world, especially in the United States. Criminal organizations such as the Medellín Cartel and the Cali Cartel took advantage of this situation to mass-produce cocaine. Both cartels wreaked havoc on Colombian society, generating national and international rejection. Colombian history also had to endure another great period of violence, but this time not due to a difference of political ideals, but rather a narco-violence that benefited a few and mortified many. In the years following the disintegration of the Medellín and Cali cartels, interest emerged from organizations such as the FARC and the ELN, in addition to the group of criminal gangs that continue to be affected by this phenomenon to this day.