Adriana Elisa Ortega Arriaga
Adriana Elisa Ortega Arriaga is a dedicated researcher and advocate specializing in citizen security and access to justice. Currently pursuing her Master's degree at the Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City, she holds a Bachelor's degree in International Relations from ITESM, Campus Chihuahua. Adriana's professional journey includes pivotal roles such as Data Coordinator at renowned feminist organization Intersecta, where she led research projects on security, militarization, and criminal justice impacts with an intersectional feminist approach. She also served as the Department Head at the National Institute of Statistics and Geography, managing significant research and statistical data analysis on public security and judicial administration.
Born and raised in Chihuahua—a region profoundly affected by the war on drugs—Adriana has firsthand experience of the policies' dire impacts on communities, driving her focus on drug policy, health, and human rights. Her latest research, examining the forced internment and release cycles in Ciudad Juárez’s rehabilitation centers, showcases her commitment to challenging systemic human rights violations through rigorous scholarship.
Adriana’s work has been published in various national and international platforms, including Nexos, Animal Político, and The Washington Post. She aims to leverage her expertise at the ISSDP conference to foster global discussions on reforming drug policies to uphold human rights and dignity.
Session
In alignment with the thematic focus of this conference, particularly under item 4.2, “Human Rights Concerns: Ensuring drug policies respect human rights”, this research project investigates the cycle of forced internment and release of individuals in unregulated rehabilitation centers known as anexos in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, one of the most notorious cities in the northern border of Mexico, especially due to the ravages caused by the war on drugs. Utilizing semi-structured interviews, it explores the dynamics surrounding these internments, including the motivations of involved actors such as relatives, La Patrulla Espiritual —group of individuals associated with anexos who are tasked with enforcing the rules and guidelines of the rehabilitation process, including forced internment—, public security agents and organized crime members. It also examines the persistence of the entry-exit cycle and the reasons behind unsuccessful releases, with a particular focus on methamphetamine use. The concept of "descitizenization" is employed to analyze how certain populations are stripped of basic citizenship rights, with the context of precariousness and security policies affecting the youth of Ciudad Juárez being especially relevant to this analysis. Findings indicate a complex interplay of socioeconomic, political and cultural factors that sustain and perpetuate these practices, highlighting the need for full-spectrum harm reduction policies that respect human rights and provide dignified and effective alternatives for addiction treatment.