Department or Program
Latin American and Latinx Studies
Abstract
The overuse of illicit drugs has traditionally been referred to as “un problema unicamente Estadounidense” across Latin America, thus emphasizing a longstanding narrative: the United States as the consumer, and Latin America the producer of illicit drugs. Nevertheless, evidence indicates that internal markets across Latin America have intensified since the early 2000s. Rising consumption, particularly in Mexico, is commonly viewed as marginal, derivative, or the byproduct of trafficking dynamics. Yet, these explanations do not fully account for observed trends. Utilizing an interdisciplinary approach, this thesis examines the growth of internal illicit drug markets in Mexico and argues that consumption is not solely influenced by DTO activity. Rather, domestic drug use is shaped by economic conditions, state policy decisions, regulatory and enforcement practices, institutional factors, and the organizational heterogeneity of local market actors, including narcomenudistas. By situating domestic drug use within the broader context of illicit market creation, state policies, and local socioeconomic realities, this thesis illustrates how both actors and structural conditions have contributed to the persistence and transformation of domestic drug markets in Mexico for the last thirty years.
Level of Access
Restricted: Embargoed [Open Access After Expiration]
First Advisor
Perez-Armendariz, Clarisa
Date of Graduation
5-2026
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Recommended Citation
Rojas Nuñez, Fatima, "¿Un Problema Únicamente Estadounidense?: Criminal Infrastructure and Structural Conditions in Drug-Related Outcomes Across Mexican Municipalities" (2026). Honors Theses. 542.
https://scarab.bates.edu/honorstheses/542
Number of Pages
84