During last five decades, Cocaine has not only thrived in Latin America, as an illicit narcotics, but has gradually transformed into a political and economic commodity.

Emerging in the 1970s, from localized cultivation and trafficking networks, illicit trade of Cocaine trade has evolved into a transnational enterprise, scale and influence of which is equaling the formal state economies. With expansion that now stretch across Continents, the drug cartels have been exploiting institutional weaknesses, corrupting public officials, and carving out trafficking corridors. In fact, the line between criminal enterprise and political authority has steadily blurred. The term “Narco-Politics” has gained currency to describe this phenomenon, a condition in which illicit economies do not merely co-exist with the state but become embedded within its power structures. Latin America’s experience offers a clear warning: when narcotics seep into governance, the consequences extend far beyond crime, eroding institutions, distorting policy priorities and destabilizing entire regions.

Venezuela’s geography in Latin America along with itspolitical trajectory situates it squarely within this transformation. The extensive Caribbean Coastline, its proximity to major transit routes, and protracted spells of governance stress, make Venezuela an attractive corridor for Cocaine shipments,which are destined towards North America and Europe. International monitoring bodies and investigative journalists have often been raising concerns about the penetration of drug trafficking networks into segments of the Venezuelan State. It is against this historical and structural backdrop that the arrest of Venezuelan President NicolásMaduro in early January 2026,needs to be seen. U.S. authorities allege that Maduro and his inner circle, oversaw the so-called “Cartel of the Suns,” facilitating the movement of hundreds of tons of Cocaine over two decades, while simultaneously engaging in weapons smuggling and related criminal activities. International media outlets havedescribed the development as extraordinary: a sitting head of state detained on charges of “Narco-Terrorism”. Concurrently, Pakistan’s domestic media has also echoed similar framing, highlighting both the severity of the allegations and the broader geo-political implications.

Beyond the criminal charges, analysts also point out to a wider strategic........

© Pakistan Observer