Blake and his co-authors examine South–to-South Security Cooperation between Mexico and the Caribbean on the problem of illegal guns trafficked from the US into Mexico and the Caribbean.
Damion Blake, associate professor in the Department of Political Science and Public Policy at Elon University, has co-authored a peer-reviewed article in the European Journal of International Security titled “From the War on Drugs to the War on Guns: South–South cooperation between Mexico and the Caribbean’ in the European Journal of International Security (EJIS).”
The study examines a significant shift in security cooperation between Mexico and the Caribbean, moving from the U.S.-led “war on drugs” to a regionally driven “war on guns” aimed at curbing illicit arms trafficking. The research highlights CARICOM’s support for Mexico’s historic lawsuit against U.S. gun manufacturers, positioning it as a crucial step in challenging global power hierarchies through South-South security cooperation. By analyzing legal, political and strategic dimensions, the study provides new insights into the evolving nature of regional security partnerships among Latin American and Caribbean states and their attempts to remedy the deadly effects of high homicide rates related to the North-to-South flow of guns across their borders.