Skip to main content
narcoterrorism

narcoterrorism

1 9.9
The use of drug sales to pay for violent political attacks
  • noun
  • /ˌnɑrkoʊˈtɛrəˌrɪzəm/
  • NSFW
: narcoterrorismo
  • Authorities are struggling to combat narcoterrorism, as drug cartels continually fund violent activities against the state.

Examples

  • The Bush White House perceives Colombian "narcoterrorism" as a major national and international security threat with a potential spillover effect in neighboring countries.

    Academic text (2004)
  • In response to the perceived threat posed by "narcoterrorism," the United States made important changes in its security policy toward Colombia.

    Academic text (2004)
  • Very early on, the military was intimately linked with the paramilitary networks, and any concerns about human rights violations were overridden by the focus on narcoterrorism.

    Academic text (2003)
  • The rise of narcoterrorism in Latin America has forced countries to collaborate on international security measures.

  • Narcoterrorism has destabilized governments and endangered lives in many regions of the world.

Surface Forms

Morphology

narcoterrorism = terrorism (semi-transparent) = narco + terr + or + ism

The relation to 'terrorism' is clear, but 'narco-' is a specialized combining form that may not be fully accessible to all learners.

Etymology

Narcoterrorism joins narcotic 'drugs' and terrorism 'the use of fear or violence'. It means using the drug trade and drug money to fund or carry out violent attacks, so think of drugs feeding or fueling terror.