ABSTRACT
The connections between drug trafficking and organized crime is not a statistical nor unidirectional matter; rather, it is a dynamic and complex relationship that affects, moves, and adapts to diverse economic, social, political, and geographic contexts. This chapter analyzes these problems in the South American region during the past 11 years and the challenges this issue presents for the security of countries in the context of the new framework of South American integration. It confronts important challenges such as institutional weakness of the police and justice systems, corruption, the excessive militarization of this issue, and the emergence of sovereign political movements that do little to foster genuine integration on this problem. Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) is the body of regional integration with the greatest initiative, willingness, acceptance, and political legitimacy given by the South American states for the treatment of economic, social, commercial, and cultural problems as well as security and drug trafficking issues.
