Essay: Exploring Drug Abuse in Dominican Republic: Discovering its Prehistoric and Colonial Roots



Dominican Republic

Introduction

The issue of drugs and drug abuse or misuse has been one of the detrimental pitfalls of the world in the recent past. With such advents as the internet and social media, more teenage freedom out of materialism and individualism that has driven parents and guardians to neglect their parenting role in search of wealth, and the increasing peer influence, drug abuse has been on the rise in almost every part of the world. However, drug abuse is not an issue that started yesterday or the day after, but instead is one problem that stems back centuries ago. Neither is it an advent of the white race, contrary to popular beliefs because as this paper will discuss, drug abuse is an issue that was known to indigenous groups across the world long before their interactions with the whites. To prove both of these points, the paper will focus on the Dominican Republic, one of the popular and famous countries in Latin America. The paper aims at proving the fact that the issue of drug abuse and addiction was known to the citizens of these countries from centuries ago, only that it took on a different approach than it does now. To do this, the paper will point how the society back then dealt with the issue, how differently it deals with it now, and what this approach means for the country as far as the political, economic and social spheres of life in the country are concerned.

The Dominican Republic is one of the Latin America countries that is located on the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean area. This country occupies a significant part of the island, about five-eighths; the other portion belongs to Haiti. This geographical expansion makes Hispaniola one of the only two Caribbean islands that are owned by two independent states. The other island is Saint Martin. The Dominica Republic is without a doubt the second largest Caribbean country by nation at 48,671 square kilometers, after Cuba. The country is homes about 10 million people, which makes it third by population in the Caribbean region. Of the 10 million citizens, about 3 million stay in the urban area of Santo Domingo, which happens to be the country's capital. This country has for centuries now been guided by three social pillars, which include religion, patriotism, and independence. This is evident in the country's motto, "Dios, Patria, Libertad" which is Spanish for "God, Homeland, Freedom". Apart from Santa Domingo, other notable cities include Puerto Plata, Santiago, Barahona, the coastal towns of La Romana, and San Pedro de Macoris among others. The largest city is Santo Domingo siting at 190N 700W this would explain why it is the capital city of the country. The official language of Santo Domingo is Spanish, mainly because the country consists of 58% Mestizo, 19% blacks, 13% whites, 12% Mulatto and roughly the other 0.3% is made up of other ethnic groups. The country identifies itself as a republic type of government with a unitary presidential form of government currently headed by Danilo Medina as the country's head of state. It follows America's kind of legislation by adopting the Congress as the chief legislative body that is headed by the Senate as the upper house (Betances, 2018). The country has undergone a series of colonialism and fights for independence from different colonialists the likes of Spain, Haiti, and the United States of America and currently has an independent constitution that was brought under the law in 2015. As can be seen from this information, the country comes across as a typical country in the rest of the world, same struggles, same achievements, and same challenges, one of which is the issue of drug abuse, particularly among teenagers.

Prehistoric and Colonial Drugs

In 1995, the American government declared the Dominican Republic as a minor cannabis producer, but an increasingly exploited transit route. By this time the country had well established it as a central player in the cartel for drug trafficking across the Caribbean to the United States of America. By this time, a lot of cannabis was being cultivated locally, the majority of which was being consumed domestically. A year before then the Dominican Republic authorities had seized about 741 kilograms of marijuana and eradicated about 49 thousand plants in the country, which was the main factor for America's judgment describing the country as a minor, but upcoming cannabis producer. However, what might not be known clearly about the state is that the issue of marijuana production had not started in the late 1990s, but instead dates back to the early 20th century (Dormitzer et al., 2004). It is easy to believe or assume that marijuana had been introduced into the country most probably during the American colonialism of the state, but the truth is that the drug had been cultivated by the indigenous communities long before then as herbal medicine. When the white colonists came, they introduced the cultivation of the hemp plant for textiles and ropes, though by then the indigenous had already started using the cannabis plant for medicinal purposes. The hemp fiber was used to make clothing, paper, sails, and ropes while the seeds were used as food. While it may be true that the society back then did not use the plant to get high, it is important to point out that the plant existed in the country long before then to clarify the notion that it is the colonists who introduced the plant into the country with their invasion of the Dominican Republic. What they did do though was to launch a new usage of the plant into the state.

Important to note is that the earl hemp had deficient levels of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), this is the chemical responsible for the plant’s mind-altering effects. It is not certain however whether this is the reason the plant was mainly grown in the country for other purposes other than to get high, or whether the ancient society knew about the psychoactive properties of the plant and therefore preferred to grow only a particular type of the plant for purposes other than to get high. But either case, the fact is that the ancient culture back then was exposed to the fact that the cannabis plant had psychoactive elements and at some point in history started cultivating other varieties of the plant to produce higher levels of THC for use in religious ceremonies, and to enhance the medicinal and healing properties of the drug. Like any other drug, the cannabis plant was subject to misuse, in which case members of the ancient society started to use the drug for reasons other than the ones that were advocated for back then, and when they become aware of the psychoactive elements of the plant, drug abuse kicked in. They would use cannabis to get high, which would explain why the conventional herbal cultivation of the plant quickly changed to psychoactive production of the plant. More and more people started cultivating the other varieties of the plant by around the early 1900s that contained high levels of THC. During this period, cannabis was the most popular, and most probably the only type of drug that was being abused in the country. Though as the paper will discuss in the next segments, the use and trafficking of other kinds of drugs like cocaine has been dominant in the country for the last three decades or so, establishing the state as one of the leading drug traders in the world.

Current Drug Production and Trade

The Dominican Republic currently sits at the global heart of drug production and trade, with a cartel running deep to control almost half the world's drug trade. Not so long ago, the Colombians had the cocaine trafficking routes very much under their control. They could efficiently run the whole of the American course, from the native lands to the streets. This explains why the vast amount of cocaine swept through the South of Miami in the 1980s. However, this glory soon died down when the interdiction efforts started clamping down on the Colombian operations. It was around this time that the Mexican drug traffickers picked up much of the burden of the trade across the overland routes and along the Eastern Pacific. This came about when massive surveillance by the American forces dawned on some of the Atlantic sea lanes that had hitherto been used by Colombia boats to traffic drugs. However, the Mexican cartels had not been readily equipped for this task, and soon found it hard to keep up with the high numbers of sales. The sales went down, and the more massive cartels were losing a lot of money in the process, prompting the exploration of other alternatives. The Caribbean presented a variable option. The production of cannabis in the Dominican Republic was on the rise, establishing the country as one of the upcoming forces to reckon with in the production and trade of cannabis (Seelke, 2010). The Colombians reasoned that if the state could handle marijuana production and sales that well, it could as well manage the coke trade.

The Caribbean had heavy traffic which meant lots of cargos were coming and going into the islands, and a wide variety of nationalities were involved in whatever trade the islands were into. This also meant plenty of financial institutions and countless possibilities to launder money. All these factors were favorable to the rerouting of the coke trade to the Caribbean, more particularly to the Dominican Republic because as the Caribbean channel grew, more criminals and drug lords in the Dominican Republic realized they could establish a mutually beneficial partnership with the Colombian cartels. As this relationship eased, more cocaine began being shipped from Colombia to the Dominican Republic into America. The Dominican network had however been established long before the drugs came along. The Dominican cartels and drug lords took advantage of the fact that there were already thousands of their relatives in the United States of America, particularly in the large Eastern cities. Gradually, therefore, the Dominican gangs started to gain access of the drug distribution in these cities and regions. The drugs entering the Dominican Republic came in mainly by land from Haiti, as the Dominican government discovered in 2004. These cargos would then move on to other areas by sea or air. This points out how easy it has been for the country to traffic drugs, most presumably taking advantage of the exceedingly feeble regulations and government laws on drug trafficking. But as the trade grew and flourished for the Dominican citizens, so did their local consumption of these drugs. The country no doubt continued to present a ready primary market for the drugs been trafficked throughout the world.

Drug-Related Political Issues

As the Dominican Republic continues to be the central command center for drug trafficking in the Caribbean, the country continues to suffer sabotaged diplomatic ties, and high levels of insecurity, both of which are not healthy for its political sphere. It is sad to point out that the government has been unable to establish proper control and allocate adequate technological resources of the Dominican ports of Multimodal Caucedo and Haina. This poses a significant threat to the national security interests of both the United States of America and the European countries who wish to engage in trade with the Dominican Republic. The current systems in place to control the shipments through the state are inadequate and therefore facilitate the increased violence and the corruption in the country. One might not see how this is related to drug trafficking, or rather, how drug trafficking is a contributing factor in this case. But the underlying factor is that the pressure from powerful groups of businessmen in the country against increased security in the Dominican Republic ports hinders the strict control of thousands of containers annually, despite the American Homeland security Department requirements to inspect all the cargos. On the surface, it may seem a non-issue, but upon closer look, one would discover that the dominant groups of businessmen referred to herein actually implies the drug lords who continue to control aspects of the country's governance to their advantage. These cartels run so deep within the government to oversee their operations run successfully at the ports, and would therefore pressurize, or even manipulate the government not to increase security whatsoever at the ports because it would imply the inspection of their cargos. On the other hand, the rest of the world stands to watch how the government operations fail in ensuring tight security at the ports, thereby leading to the questioning of the country's ability to effectively handle diplomatic relations and trades (Padilla, Colón‐Burgos, Varas‐Díaz, Matiz‐Reyes, & Parker, 2018). This being the case, the government suffers from strained diplomatic ties with the United States of America and Europe, which directly limits such factors as international aid to deal with domestic issues. A government that is not able to secure the foreign assistance to facilitate its operations and duties is without a doubt incapacitated of handling domestic matters such as funding local projects. The Dominican Republic is one of the smallest countries in the Caribbean with a very low GDP. On its own, the government is incapable of dealing with the issue of poverty and unemployment. Additionally, the government being unable to put an end to the drug cartels within the country leads to the public questioning of the political systems. Such a nation has very little faith, confidence and trust in the political systems to handle other spheres and problems affecting the common man if it is not capable of putting an end to the issue of substance abuse and drug trafficking.

Drug-Related Economic Issues

On the hand, the issue of inadequate security at the Dominican Republic ports means reduced economic transactions. Such ports are built primarily to facilitate the flow of good and people in and out of the country. In other words, the ports are meant to promote trade with the rest of the world. But when the drug cartels take control of such an economic resource, investors and traders shy away from conducting further transactions with the Dominican Republic. What this means is that there will be reduced economic activities at the ports, and the country would, therefore, suffer reduced trade with the rest of the world. This reflects negatively on the country's economic growth in the long run. Additionally, the trade in drugs is an illegal activity, and as such cannot be taxed or whatsoever by the country since it is not recognized by the law as a source of income, either for the country or the citizens. What this implies is that while individuals running the cartel grow more vibrant by the day, the state becomes poorer since it loses a lot of revenue in this trade that cannot be taxed. Apart from the government losing money through the drug trade, there is also the issue of the society itself losing money as well. As more people take into drug consumption, mainly the teenagers, they tend to spend a lot of resources to purchase these drugs. From this point, the finances that would have otherwise been put to better use is wasted away in drugs. Citizens of the country fail to invest in productive spheres of the society and instead waste away their hard-earned money on drugs. Teenagers, on the other hand, spend a lot of the family resources to purchase these drugs. Lastly, there is also the issue of slowed or decreased economic production. It is true that when an individual engages in substance abuse, their level of production generally is lowered. This case is no different in the Dominican Republic. Able men and women capable of working to push the economic sector spend most of their time getting high and wasted. In an intoxicated state, such individuals do not function normally and would tend therefore to experience slowed production. In worst case scenarios, such individuals would be laid off because they become a liability to whatever organization or establishment they work for.

Drug-Related Cultural Changes

Like any other vice, the issue of drug abuse and drug trafficking has eaten into the cultural and social setting of the Dominican Republic. The first effect of this vice on the country's culture is sabotaged family ties. The Caribbean is known for its emphasis on the family unit. Ideally, the man is the head of the house and is supposed to hold together the family together through a series of moral values taught to the children from a very young age. The children, on the other hand, are supposed to grow up in a certain way guided by a series of morals and life lessons. But with the advent of drug abuse, this basic unit of the society has been sidelined and washed, when parents, for instance, start abusing drugs, it becomes almost impossible for them to guide and shape the morals of their children. How can one teach another to be what he is not? Similarly, the teenagers who abuse drug would no doubt find it hard to stick to the morals that have been instilled in them. For instance, such a teenager would do anything in their power to get money to purchase the drugs. And since they do not work for their resources, they tend to steal to afford the drugs. This may start as petty theft at home but would later culminate into organized gang thefts. What this implies is the increased levels of violence in the streets as the teenagers use any means possible to sustain their lifestyle. This is true for the Dominican Republic as it is of the recent past facing increased levels of violence and insecurity if the reports on the media are anything to go by. Increased poverty is the cultural change the society goes through because of drug and substance abuse. As was mentioned earlier, individuals would do anything within their powers to purchase the drugs they are so used to. Teenagers would resort to petty theft, while adults would spend most of their hard-earned money and family resources on drugs almost on a daily basis, leaving nothing for the family. The other side of the story is that parents and guardians in so doing would be deserting their parental and custody roles (Arias, 2017). When an individual uses almost all their resources on drugs leaving nothing for the family, they fail in their duty to provide for the young ones under their care, prompting them in more occasions than one to make do with minimal resources. These unbearable conditions are widely attributed to the number of street children who feel neglected and left to fend for themselves.

Proposed Solutions

Since cartel operations run deeper than one may initially think or presume at face value, it is essential that this issue is approached with more open-minded and liberal tactics. The first line of action would be political approach geared towards singling out cartel operators situated in the government institutions. Mostly these persons within the government are strategically placed there to frustrate the government efforts to address the issue of drug trafficking in and through the country. Unless such individuals are dealt with first, every other approach would be in vain. This can be done through proper and detailed vetting of government officials at whatever capacity in whatever department of the government. The vetting process should ensure they go deep enough into the kind of business transactions and engagements one has to ensure its credible and lawful. The second step would be to increase security at the ports. Heightened security at the two ports of the Dominican Republic would ensure that no cargos ferrying drugs are allowed in or out of the country. At the same time, this level of security would be critical in securing the trust and confidence of investors and traders in the state. The government should then put in place strict procedures and laws to ensure internal drug trade and consumption are limited and the offenders severely brought to justice. The rules and regulations on drug abuse will go a long way in ensuring that the cases of the drug trade and abuse are minimized with time, and replaced with better economic and recreational activities. Lastly, parents, guardians and learning institutions all have a role to play in shaping the behaviors and the character of the youngsters through instilling better moral and values in them (Arias, 2017). This should be done by addressing the reasons behind their abuse of the substance, pointing out to them the harms they put themselves into, finding remedies for their conditions and lastly replacing these old habits with better activities, like for instance sports. In other words, the society has a role to play in rehabilitating the drug users and then guiding them into better and more productive activities.

Conclusion

The Dominican Republic may have started on the wrong foot with its approach in handling the issue of drug trafficking and drug abuse, but it is never too late for the country to put in place better systems to ensure the issue is addressed adequately. Strict laws should be put in place to ensure the ports are used productively to build the country's economy, and individuals should be rehabilitated and introduced into better activities, both economical for the drug peddlers and barons, and better recreational activities for the drug abusers. The country will unlock a great deal of potential if the measures suggested in this article are implemented the right way.