Abstract

MANTILLA-VALBUENA, Silvia Cristina. Beyond the Hegemonic Speech: Drug Traffic, Terrorism and Narcoterrorism in the Age of Fear and Global Insecurity. Pap.polit. [online]. 2008, vol.13, n.1, pp.227-260. ISSN 0122-4409.

Since the late twentieth century, the conceptual and theoretical construction around the phenomena of drug traffic and terrorism has been subject to intense media coverage and strong securitization underpinned by the American hegemonic power. The content and meaning of the so-called threat of “narcoterrorism” as it has been defined by the current political speech, has hidden theoretical paradoxes and conceptual simplifications, which however, have justified the act of the war in a global context. The current context of fear and insecurity for individuals and societies around the world face the perverse effects from socioeconomic impacts brought by globalization, has consistently advocated the emergence and spread of these threats, but at the same time has been an effective advantage by the hegemonic actor in activating the spiral of war, violence and intervention strategies that increase their economic and military power. This article proposes therefore, a conceptual, theoretical and analytical reflection whose purpose is to dismantle the speeches and the hegemonic representations that have been forged around concepts such as “drug traffic”, “terrorism” and “narco-terrorism”, and that have limited in turn, the move to a multi-dimensional treatment of these phenomena and other threats that shoul de considered as true global risks to human security.

Keywords : Drug traffick; terrorism; narco-terrorism; global security; human security; globalization; hegemonic speeches and representations; global wars; Narcotic traffic; Terrorism; Political violence.

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