Drug Routes Through the Caribbean
Drug Routes Through the Caribbean  
Podcast: History of the Caribbeans | Exploring Resilience and Culture
Published On: Thu Feb 05 2026
Description: TITLE: The White Gold Trap: How Drug Routes Fractured the Caribbean In the nineteen seventies and eighties, the Caribbean was transformed from a tropical escape into a high-speed conveyor belt for global narcotics. This was the era of the "White Gold" rush—a time when a single shipment of cocaine held more value than the annual budget of a small island nation. This episode of THE HISTORY OF THE CARIBBEAN dives deep into the "Crime and Power" era. We go beyond the headlines to explore the institutional rot that followed the money. From the private narco-kingdom of Carlos Lehder on Norman’s Cay to the rise of the political "Don" system in Jamaica, we examine how sovereign borders were erased by greed. In this episode, we uncover: The Logistics of Smuggling: How the geography of the archipelago was weaponized by the Medellin and Cali cartels. The Price of Silence: How "the windfall" corrupted police, customs, and high-level government officials. The Social Cost: The devastating transition from a transit point to a local addiction epidemic and the rise of the armed garrisons. The Shadow Government: How criminal economies replaced the social contract and the heavy toll still being paid by our communities today. This isn't a story of glamour. It is a gritty, factual look at how our waters were used as a highway for poison and the brave few who stood against the tide of corruption. Our history is not for sale.