Share

Why Doria’s War on Drugs is Doomed

By Sarah Evans

The São Paulo Mayor's approach to fighting addiction ignores history's lessons.

When São Paulo Mayor João Doria set out to fulfil a campaign promise and rid the city of its cracolândia (crackland), an area that was home to a group of homeless people, some of whom used drugs, he did so with an overwhelming and telegenic show of force: 500 police officers armed with guns, tear gas and dogs marshalled to take on this marginalized and disempowered population.

In one sense, the raid worked: The residents dispersed. In the words of ...

Read this article on the Americas Quarterly website. | Subscribe to AQ.

Related

Brazil’s Big Moment on the Global Stage Gets Complicated

The G20 summit in Rio was supposed to be a triumph for President Lula, but storm clouds are gathering in global politics.

Claudia Sheinbaum at her inauguration. (Photo: Mexican government)
Why Mexico Picked a Woman President First

For Foreign Policy, AS/COA’s Carin Zissis covers why Mexico outpaces the United States when it comes to women’s political leadership.

Explore