The Impact of Drug Trafficking on the Socio Cultural Milieu of the Indigenous Population of Darien in the Republic of Panama

Abstract

Drug trafficking is a problem that impacts indigenous populations in the Province of Darien, Panama. Criminal bands are taking advantage of the vulnerabilities of these alienated populations in order to use indigenous persons as cargo mules on the land routes connecting Colombia to Panama and onwards toward Central America. This research attempts to answer the question: How does drug trafficking impact the indigenous populations in the Province of Darien of the Republic of Panama? To answer the question, this research focuses on development initiatives by the Panamanian state, local attempts at human development, and how the government has used its powers to mitigate the influence of drug trafficking among indigenous populations. The research determines that the Panamanian Government, through its various agencies, should undertake various lines of effort in order to develop indigenous communities and improve avenues of communication in order to further improve education, health care, and vocational programs that would provide local populations the tools they need in order to be competitive in the contemporary labor market.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 23, 2017
Accession Number
AD1040950

Entities

People

  • Alexander J. Samaniego

Organizations

  • United States Army Command and General Staff College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Human Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Central America
  • Colombia
  • Costa Rica
  • Department Of Defense
  • Drug Trafficking
  • Education
  • Environmental Protection
  • Governments
  • Guatemala
  • Health Care
  • Human Development
  • Indigenous Population
  • Information Operations
  • Integrals
  • Labor Markets
  • New York
  • Theses

Fields of Study

  • Political science

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