Public policies face major challenges to their consolidation and stability that force the rulers to make significant political efforts to keep them alive. Part of these challenges occurs by the adjustment of the policy's idea as an attempt to reduce the possible difficulties caused by public confrontation, thus better adapting them to the reference frame of the actors. Such is the case of the Colombia's drug control policy which at the beginning did not have sufficient legitimacy to be carried out, despite international pressure, but it was later coupled to the international agenda as a national need. By using the critical discourse analysis, the present study verifies how the discursive transformation of this policy took place and the cognitive mechanisms used to reinterpret it as a matter of national security and not of international co-responsibility, which allowed consolidation of the current prohibitionist strategy. The results of the study reveal an interpretation of the drug trafficking problem as a threat to the institutional order, which reduces the confrontation capacity of the critics of the proposed policy.
Abstract Public policies face major challenges to their consolidation and stability that force rulers to make significant political efforts to keep them alive. Some of these challenges occur by the adjustment of the policy's idea as an attempt to reduce the possible difficulties caused by public confrontation, thus better adapting them to the reference frame of the actors. Such is the case of Colombia's drug control policy which did not have sufficient legitimacy to be carried out, despite international pressure, but it was later coupled to the international agenda as a national need. By using the critical discourse analysis, this study verifies how the discursive transformation of this policy took place and the cognitive mechanisms used to reinterpret it as a matter of national security and not international co-responsibility, which allowed consolidation of the current prohibitionist strategy. The results of the study reveal an interpretation of the drug trafficking problem as a threat to the institutional order, which reduces the confrontation capacity of the critics of the proposed policy.
Public policies face major challenges to their consolidation and stability that force rulers to make significant political efforts to keep them alive. Some of these challenges occur by the adjustment of the policy's idea as an attempt to reduce the possible difficulties caused by public confrontation, thus better adapting them to the reference frame of the actors. Such is the case of Colombia's drug control policy which did not have sufficient legitimacy to be carried out, despite international pressure, but it was later coupled to the international agenda as a national need. By using the critical discourse analysis, this study verifies how the discursive transformation of this policy took place and the cognitive mechanisms used to reinterpret it as a matter of national security and not international co-responsibility, which allowed consolidation of the current prohibitionist strategy. The results of the study reveal an interpretation of the drug trafficking problem as a threat to the institutional order, which reduces the confrontation capacity of the critics of the proposed policy. ; Muchas políticas enfrentan importantes desafíos para su consolidación y estabilidad y exigen esfuerzos políticos significativos para mantenerse en vigor. Parte de estos desafíos se dan al ajustar la idea de política para solventar los impases de la confrontación pública. Como en el caso de la política de lucha contra las drogas en Colombia, que al principio no contaba con la legitimidad suficiente para su ejecución, a pesar de la presión internacional. El presente estudio, a través de un análisis crítico del discurso, analiza cómo se dio la transformación discursiva de esta política y cuáles fueron los mecanismos cognitivos utilizados para que se reinterpretara como un asunto de seguridad nacional más que de corresponsabilidad internacional, lo que permitió la consolidación de la estrategia prohibicionista que sigue vigente. Los resultados del estudio revelan una interpretación del problema del narcotráfico como una amenaza al orden institucional, lo que llevó a una disminución de la capacidad de confrontar críticamente la política propuesta. ; Frequentemente, as políticas públicas enfrentam desafios importantes para sua consolidação e estabilidade, e acabam exigindo esforços políticos significativos para manter-se à tona. Parte destes desafios ocorre ao ajustar a ideia de política para tentar diminuir possíveis impasses originados pelo confronto público. No caso da política de controle de drogas na Colômbia, apesar da pressão internacional, inicialmente não havia legitimidade suficiente para sua execução. Através da análise crítica do discurso, o presente estudo verifica como ocorreu a transformação discursiva desta política e quais foram os mecanismos cognitivos utilizados para que pudesse ser reinterpretada como uma questão de segurança nacional e não de corresponsabilidade internacional, o que permitiu a consolidação da estratégia proibicionista vigente. Os resultados do estudo revelam uma interpretação do problema do narcotráfico como uma ameaça à ordem institucional, o que levou a uma diminuição da capacidade de confrontar criticamente a política proposta.
