ABSTRACT
During the last decade drug-trafficking has become a major concern in Central America. Governments and organizations at national and international level report the increasing activity of national and international criminal organizations in the region. Rising violence has also been associated with conflicts between criminal organizations and with the spread of retail sales of illicit drugs. Most contract killings, kidnappings, car thefts and extortions are the actions of criminal organizations working in association with drug-trafficking organizations. Even though drug-trafficking is not the only cause of criminal violence in the region, the high profits it produces are an inducement to turn to criminal violence in order to eliminate competition, while inciting corruption among public officials as well as conflicts among other criminal organizations not directly related to drug-trafficking activities. This rising level of violence has occurred in a context of historical weakness of law enforcement institutions owing to the influence of criminals in the political sphere. Consequently, most governments in the region lack the appropriate policies and institutional mechanisms to limit the impact and expansion of illegal drug-trafficking. In this context, drug-trafficking has evolved from being a security problem to becoming a threat to already weak governance.
