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Latin American Program in the News: El Chapo Is Down, But the Drugs Keep Coming

Latin American Program Director Cynthia J. Arnson co-authored this op-ed on the effects of the arrest of Joaquin ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán.

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"But Guzmán's peaceful arrest...is just the first event in a chain reactino that is now in motion. In addition to the questions surrounding his trial, incarceration, and possible extradition to the United States, many are asking what this means for the Sinaloa Cartel, for the business of moving drugs to the United States, for the standing of the Mexican government, and most importantly, for public security in Mexico."

Cynthia J. Arnson, Director of the Latin American Program, co-authored this op-ed with Mexico Institute Director Duncan Wood on the effects of the arrest of Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzmán. In the op-ed, they address the questions listed in the above quote. Overall, Arnson and Wood argue that the capture of El Chapo will, in itself, not seriously challenge the Sinaloa Cartel's operational capacity. They recommend that if the Mexican government wants to disrupt the organization's activities, then they need to carry out a sustained assault on the cartel. However, according to Arnson and Wood, the capture was signficant in establishing the credibility of Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto's security and organized crime strategy.

Click here to read the complete article.


Latin America Program

The Wilson Center’s prestigious Latin America Program provides non-partisan expertise to a broad community of decision makers in the United States and Latin America on critical policy issues facing the Hemisphere. The Program provides insightful and actionable research for policymakers, private sector leaders, journalists, and public intellectuals in the United States and Latin America. To bridge the gap between scholarship and policy action, it fosters new inquiry, sponsors high-level public and private meetings among multiple stakeholders, and explores policy options to improve outcomes for citizens throughout the Americas. Drawing on the Wilson Center’s strength as the nation’s key non-partisan policy forum, the Program serves as a trusted source of analysis and a vital point of contact between the worlds of scholarship and action.  Read more