Cocaine Cowboys is a film that documents drug trafficking from Colombia through Cuba and into the United States. There are first-hand accounts of a heartless and cruel drug boss named Griselda Blanco killing anyone that stood in her way, to include innocent children and stories of drug runners using high tech communications equipment to monitor coast guard and ICE radio bands. The film begins with the transition with the marijuana trade in the 60’s and 70’s and transitions quickly to the cocaine trade of the 1980’s and how it effectually made Miami the city that it is today, a city of extravagance based on millions upon millions of dollars made through the sale of illicit drugs. The strategy behind the trade was quite brilliant, using Americans to transport the drugs across the border and arrange a drop to exchange drugs for money, never having either in the same place, and then the drugs went to the Colombians for sale on the streets of Miami and onward from there.
The focal point of the movie starts with the Dadeland Massacre of 1979 in Miami where Griselda Blanco ordered the hits of several men in a liquor store. This was the spark that ignited the powder keg known as the “Cocaine Wars”, basically a living hell on the streets of Miami. However the cocaine trafficking was not a new trade for the citizens of Cuba, who served as the intermediaries from Colombia. According to the Gootenberg article, “Havana was among the first post-war global sin capitals, with roots in Prohibition, where offshore gangsters rubbed shoulders with their “Latin” counterparts from Chile, Panama, Argentina, and Mexico, amid the haven of corrupted regimes of Prio, Grau, and Batista.”(150) This is the culture that permeated Miami during the Cocaine Wars and caused the bloodshed which, according to the movie, was upwards of 600 murders a year during the peak of the hellacious violence.
However, one of the most interesting points of the entire film is the socioeconomic impact that the Cocaine trafficking had on Miami, its grandiosity would never had been possible had it not been for the men and women putting their drug money towards politics and local infrastructure, while the local and federal government had to realize what was going on, they simply turned a blind eye to it, despite the incontrovertible evidence such as the Miami Federal Reserve bringing in more money than every other Federal Reserve combined. If it helps make the town a better place, I suppose that is justification for all of the lives lost. Many agree that despite the economic benefits after the cocaine wars, they still would rather it not have happened and Miami made its own name on the business of tourism instead of being a modern day “Paradise Lost” as Time magazine so succinctly put it in their exposing article in the 1980’s that defamed the city for the overt narcotics industry.
I like the image that you have at the top. I think the first hand accounts were the most important part of the documentary. Because the people could speak from first hand knowledge the viewer could really feel the emotions behind the who incident. Also, the amount of money coming in and out of Miami could really be felt. I liked that they started with the massacre it showed how the violence really escalated. I think it is interesting how there is now a discussion about the socio-economic level that Miami has been able to get to because of the drug money that was taken when they all went to jail. It is a moral issue of was it worth it? Did we have to go through four years of hell to get to the haven we are in now? I liked your blog I think it was a good read.
ReplyDeleteI liked your analysis. The cocaine wars were the price Miami had to pay to be the city it is today. However, most citizens would happily revert back to what the city was prior to the drug money if it could gain the lost lives back. It was incredible how the government turned its head when all the murders began. In the different articles, they talk about how the CIA had good intelligence on drug shipments, weapon warehouses, and known drug dealers and did not put a stop to the operations. Was Miami's transformation worth the lives of hundreds of civilians, including children? According to the people interviewed, it was not. It seems that only the hard core drug lords, like Griselda, who loved the thrill of the fight, thought so.
ReplyDeleteI liked your opinion on the entire summary of the effects of cocaine possessed in an area. In fact the NSC supported the use of drug money in order to fund the contras despite the fact that so many lives were being lost regardless of age, species, or gender. Apparently the government had no problem being known as the "Paradise Lost" until Times Magazine published the article to the public. That is when the reality kicked in and what should of been done long ago was now being taken into action.
ReplyDeleteI also found it interesting that the government in Miami decided not to recognize what was going on with the drug trade. While most of the United States was in a recession, Miami flourished on drug money. After reading the Youngers article, it is clear that this is the same reason that the Andean region is reluctant to give up such a lucrative, although illegal, export.
ReplyDeleteIt's unbelievable how easily these drug cartel's were able to export their product into the U.S. The group from the movie is only one group, leads me to think how many other import/export businesses are still evading the DEA in the U.S. today.
ReplyDeleteThis is the real life Scarface.. I mean, drugs and money. Thats what Miami is all about. It is definately sad that the city flourished by the use of drug money, but It is what Miami is known for. The amount of Government involvement with this issue is sickening. Everyone has a price, just like the guy in the movie said. It all depends on the number of zeros you add to the check.
ReplyDeleteFirst, I love the picture! Second,I agree that the money made through the drug trade turned Miami into the city it is today. The fact that law enforcement looked the other way just reinforces the idea that the love of money is the root of all evil. Greed tooks the lives of many people and forever changed those who were overtaken by the drug that was being trafficked. Drugs have been a problem for centuries, even back to the Wild West days when opium was the drug of choice. History definitely repeats itself and in this case, gets more violent with each time around.
ReplyDeleteI think it's important to note that the revitalization of Miami's infrastructure was due to money made from the drug trade. However, I don't think it needs to be said that all the lives lost was worth it. After all, at the end of the film, those that lived through it said they'd rather not have lived through that area, and that the new Miami wasn't worth all the bloodshed. Regardless, good post.
ReplyDeleteVery good post. I like how you debated on how the Miami population actually feels about the drug trade that occurred for decades. Many will swear up and down that they despise everything to do with the drug trade however they love having the benefits that the drug trade brought. Many times people complain about something however when its taken away they find that it did have benefits they cant live without
ReplyDeleteGood post - It was a bittersweet battle. The money was good for the economy, but the chaos and the many lives lost were not good... And because they turned their heads to all of the cash being deposited it made it worse. Someone could have come in and taken care of things before it got out of hand.
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