Why has the securitisation of drugs in Mexico increased drug trade violence? The Merida Initiative case

Abstract

This dissertation will focus on how Mexico, with the support of the USA, has framed illegal drugs as a major threat against its national security and by doing so, it has caused major unintended consequences, this will be explored via the constructivist theory of securitization. The second aim of the dissertation will be to evaluate the success of the four pillars that constitute the Merida Initiative. The first pillar involves using both military weapons and funds for training the Mexican army, the second pillar focuses on strengthening rule of law by shaping Mexican Institutions. The third pillar aims to prevent and defend against the attacks, whilst the last one aims for the creation of “strong and resilient communities in Mexico”. The evaluation will be carried out by first, establishing a benchmark of what is considered success, and secondly by analysing through a constructivist lens how each of those pillars has been implemented as well as the consequences that resulted from that.