Why we can’t win the drugs war

Mexican drug lord El Chapo may be once more behind bars, says Matthew Partridge. But there could yet be worse to come.

16-1-14-Chapo-634

El Chapo: last of the "Robin Hood narcos"

Last week, the Mexican authorities recaptured the notorious drug cartel chief Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, who made headlines when he escaped from a Mexican prison for the second time last July. El Chapo was Mexico's "most powerful kingpin, running a diversified portfolio of illicit products, including marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamines and heroin, that operated in some 34 countries", says The Wall Street Journal.

Subscribe to MoneyWeek

Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE

Get 6 issues free
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/mw70aro6gl1676370748.jpg

Sign up to Money Morning

Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter

Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter

Sign up
Dr Matthew Partridge
Shares editor, MoneyWeek

Matthew graduated from the University of Durham in 2004; he then gained an MSc, followed by a PhD at the London School of Economics.

He has previously written for a wide range of publications, including the Guardian and the Economist, and also helped to run a newsletter on terrorism. He has spent time at Lehman Brothers, Citigroup and the consultancy Lombard Street Research.

Matthew is the author of Superinvestors: Lessons from the greatest investors in history, published by Harriman House, which has been translated into several languages. His second book, Investing Explained: The Accessible Guide to Building an Investment Portfolio, is published by Kogan Page.

As senior writer, he writes the shares and politics & economics pages, as well as weekly Blowing It and Great Frauds in History columns He also writes a fortnightly reviews page and trading tips, as well as regular cover stories and multi-page investment focus features.

Follow Matthew on Twitter: @DrMatthewPartri