Pien Metaal

Pien Metaal

Project coordinator Latin America drug law reform

Pien Metaal is a researcher with TNI. She holds a Master of Arts Degree in Political Science and International Relations from University of Amsterdam. She has been a member of the Transnational Institute's Drugs and Democracy team since 2002, though her participation with the Programme dates further back.

She lived in Latin America for several years, spending most of that time in the Andean region. During those years, she dedicated most of her time and energy to research, development and implementation of drug policy, particularly in relation to coca and cocaine, and worked with local and international experts and NGOs.  She has written numerous articles, and contributed to various books and publications on the drug policy in Latin America since 1996.

Work area:

Drugs and Democracy

Areas of expertise:

Drug Law Reform in Latin America, Coca & Cocaine, drugs and conflict, alternative development, drugs and prisons

Contact

Email: pmetaal [at] tni [dot] org

Telephone: -31-20-6626608

Dutch, English, Spanish

Netherlands
52° 22' 25.6836" N, 4° 53' 27.366" E
See map: Google Maps

Selected publications

A breakthrough in the making?

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Recent content by Pien Metaal

Working towards a legal coca market

July 2013
Drugs & Democracy:
Modern use of the coca leaf in Argentina provides a series of examples that could contribute to dispelling many of the myths that have polarized debate about the subject over the last few years.

Between Reality and Abstraction

March 2013
Alternative Development:
At the International Conference on Alter­native Development (ICAD), held 15-16 November 2012 in Lima, the Peruvian Government continued to insist on the relevance of “Alternative Development (AD),” with particular emphasis on the so-called San Martín “miracle” or “model.”

A breakthrough in the making?

July 2012
There is an undeniable regional trend of moving away from the ‘war on drugs’ in Latin America. This briefing ex­plains the background, summa­rises the state of on­going drug law reforms, and makes recommendations to move the debate forward.

Chewing over Khat prohibition

January 2012
Drugs Regulation:
Khat has been consumed for thousands of years in the highlands of Eastern Africa and Southern Arabia.Strict bans on khat introduced in Europe ostensibly for the protection of immigrant communities have had severe unintended negative consequences.

Coca Myths

June 2009
The present issue of Drugs & Conflict intends to debunk and disentangle the most prominent myths surrounding the coca leaf. It aims to clear the air and help steer the debate towards a more evidence-based judgement of the issues.
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Pardon for Mules in Ecuador

February 2009
At the end of 2008, about 1,500 persons were released who were in Ecuadorian prisons sentenced for drug trafficking. The measure, known as “pardon for mules,” singled out a specific group of prisoners who were victims of indiscriminate and disproportionate legislation that was in effect for many years.

'Paco' Under Scrutiny

October 2006
Based on two studies carried out in the cities of Buenos Aires and Montevideo, this report examines the origin, characteristics and impact of the explosive increase in cocaine base paste in urban areas.

Coca Yes, Cocaine No?

May 2006
This issue of Drugs and Conflict explains the motives, context and range of the demand to remove the coca leaf from strict international drugs controls, as well as the procedures that need to be followed to reach this objective.

Cracks in the Vienna Consensus Briefing

November 2005
Numerous UN conferences and summits have been devoted to negotiating a harmonized global approach to illicit drugs. Yet more and more cracks are now beginning to appear in the supposedly universal model which is, in reality, based on a highly fragile consensus.

Forward Operating Locations in Latin America

September 2003
This issue of Drugs & Conflict explains the background to and operation of the US Forward Operating Locations (FOLs) in Ecuador, El Salvador and Aruba/Curacao, established since 1999.