Cuba and the War on Drugs

Cuba would be an unlikely ally for the US in terms of drug trafficking, but in reality, they cooperate closely with the US in intercepting naval and air shipments to the US. Due to the incredibly harsh punishments for drug smuggling, and even drug possession, Cuba has been able to limit the number of drugs that enter its borders. Combined with strict surveillance, and the limited freedoms that Cubans have, the Cuban government is merciless when it comes to combating drugs.

From the beginning of Castro’s revolution, he eliminated the main consumption of drugs stemming from the mobster run casinos on the island, although the problem was not solved due to allegations of high-level Cuban officials engaging in helping traffickers deliver their product, many times with the assistance of naval and coast guard units. This peaked in the 80’s with the involvement of the Medellin cartel influencing key officials in Castro’s government. This leads a widespread taint on Cuban pride, and Castro realized that he needed to fix this image. Promoting a good image was essential for Cuba to enter new markets due to the breakup of the Soviet Union. After an initial purge of corrupt Cuban officials, Cuba has tried to distance itself from the narco trade and increase its efforts to dismantle the trade going through Cuba.

Because of this policy, Cuba has actively engaged in cooperation with the US and other countries in intelligence gathering and naval operations. Cooperation between the Coast Guard and Cuban officials lead to the capture of almost 400kg of marijuana, and the capture of three smugglers. The State Department also listed in one of their reports that “Cuba has demonstrated an increased willingness to apprehend and turn over U.S. fugitives and to assist in U.S. judicial proceedings by providing documentation, witnesses, and background for cases in U.S. state and federal courts.”. This shows us how willing Cuban officials want to work with the US, instead of many other countries in the region which have been unreliable.

Cuba employs a very interesting combination of national policies to combat drug trafficking and violence. On one hand, the punishments of possession, consumption, and transportation can be harsh with a minimum sentence of 15 years up to the death penalty. Although for addicts and consumers, they set up around 200 free clinics, employing psychiatrists, and physicians. These clinics were placed in strategic locations where addicts could come and find rehabilitation without having to travel very far. Coupled with strong anti-drug education programs in selected schools and organizations, prices of drugs in Cuba have soared and admissions to rehabilitation clinics have decreased in the past 5 years.

The future of Cuba is very uncertain. With the rise in violence in Mexico and the Mexican cartels gaining influence, it is hard to imagine that drug kingpins won't take advantage of Cuba’s opening markets, and tense political situation to gain influence in their government like the Medellin Cartel in the 1980’s. With a salary of under 100 dollars a month, it would be difficult to imagine a scenario of how they will be kept in check once the power of the Castro regime has died out. Only with greater cooperation with the US can allow Cuba to maintain free from the corruption that affects many surrounding countries, and contribute in an effective way to dismantle drug routes.