InSightCrime: The violence of Mexico's so-called "war on drugs" has caught the attention of the international community, with calls for the International Criminal Court (ICC) to turn its attention to the country. If they're successful, high-level government officials -- or even leaders of drug trafficking organizations -- may be prosecuted in the Hague. But it's a difficult road ahead.
The ICC's Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) is the body that will decide if there's evidence that the most serious atrocities under international law have taken place in Mexican territory. According to the Rome Statute, drug trafficking isn't within the ICC's jurisdiction, but the way that different actors may either fight or defend the drug trade is -- if, for example, war crimes are committed, or crimes against humanity. Read more.
The MexicoBlog of the Americas Program, a fiscally sponsored program of the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR), is written by Laura Carlsen. I monitor and analyze international press on Mexico, with a focus on security, immigration, human rights and social movements for peace and justice, from a feminist perspective. And sometimes I simply muse.
Showing posts with label drug decriminalization. Show all posts
Showing posts with label drug decriminalization. Show all posts
Aug 8, 2012
The Deceptive Gains of the War on Drugs
World Policy: Robert Valencia.
Recently, the Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, Gil Kerlikowske, shared what he considered great news: According to numbers from the White House, potential cocaine production in Colombia had dropped by 72 percent since 2001. This ranks the country third in production of the substance, behind neighbors Peru and Bolivia. During a conference in Washington DC on July 30, 2012, Kerlikowske explained that potential production of pure cocaine in Colombia was “down to 195 metric tons (in 2011) from 700 metrics tons in 2001,” the lowest production level since 1994. He underscored that since 1995, Colombia has been producing “less cocaine” than Peru and Bolivia. Read more.
Recently, the Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, Gil Kerlikowske, shared what he considered great news: According to numbers from the White House, potential cocaine production in Colombia had dropped by 72 percent since 2001. This ranks the country third in production of the substance, behind neighbors Peru and Bolivia. During a conference in Washington DC on July 30, 2012, Kerlikowske explained that potential production of pure cocaine in Colombia was “down to 195 metric tons (in 2011) from 700 metrics tons in 2001,” the lowest production level since 1994. He underscored that since 1995, Colombia has been producing “less cocaine” than Peru and Bolivia. Read more.
Mar 20, 2012
Drug Policy Debate: Americas Program Laura Carlsen, Drug Policy Alliance Ethan Nadelmann on Proposals in Latin America to legalize drugs
WBEZ: "The debate to legalize drugs has moved from the political fringes into more mainstream discussions. With the cartels’ grip on Mexico and drug violence spiking in Central America, many Latin American leaders are fed up and considering alternatives. At the end of the month, some of them will gather in Guatemala to discuss the recent proposal to legalize drugs put forth by Guatemalan President Otto Perez Molina.
Today, Worldview spends the hour debating legalization and discussing the issues surrounding the massive drug problem in the Americas. Johanna Mendelson Forman, senior associate in the Americas Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Ethan Nadelmann, executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance, and Laura Carlsen, director of the Americas Program of the Center for International Policy in Mexico City."
pod cast
Today, Worldview spends the hour debating legalization and discussing the issues surrounding the massive drug problem in the Americas. Johanna Mendelson Forman, senior associate in the Americas Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Ethan Nadelmann, executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance, and Laura Carlsen, director of the Americas Program of the Center for International Policy in Mexico City."
pod cast
Drug Policy Debate: British Parliament committee supports decriminalization of drugs in Latin America
Milenio: "The British Parliament has sent a letter to the presidents of Mexico, Colombia and Central American countries to show their support for the initiative by Guatemala to begin an international dialogue on the decriminalization of drugs, reported the Guatemalan Embassy in London .
The letter, signed on 19 March by Baroness Molly Meacher, chairman of the committee on drug policy of the British Parliament, encourages participants in the summit of heads of state from Central America to discuss "a challenging problem" for their countries.
That meeting, to be held on March 24 in Antigua (Guatemala), aims to achieve a common position in the region regarding the initiative of Guatemalan President, Otto Perez Molina, to begin an international dialogue on the possible decriminalization of drugs .
After arriving at an agreement, the initiative would then be debated at the Summit of the Americas to be held in Cartagena de Indias (Colombia) April 14 to 15 and attended by 34 heads of state or government, including U.S. President Barack Obama.
Baroness Meacher, who has addressed to the presidents of Colombia, Mexico, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama, said "it would be very valuable to not waste this occasion. The initiative offers the opportunity to begin a process of debate." Meacher hopes that recipients agree to include this issue "of global importance" on the agenda of the meeting in Cartagena de Indias.
In addition, the committee offers, in the letter, to involve the world's leading experts in the preparation of policies and other preparatory work.
"Only through dialogue, a serious examination of different policies and a determination to reduce the terrible damage caused by the current law, can progrsss be made," the message said. The Baroness Meacher was speaking on behalf of 75 members of different parties that are part of the drug committee of Parliament." Spanish original
The letter, signed on 19 March by Baroness Molly Meacher, chairman of the committee on drug policy of the British Parliament, encourages participants in the summit of heads of state from Central America to discuss "a challenging problem" for their countries.
That meeting, to be held on March 24 in Antigua (Guatemala), aims to achieve a common position in the region regarding the initiative of Guatemalan President, Otto Perez Molina, to begin an international dialogue on the possible decriminalization of drugs .
After arriving at an agreement, the initiative would then be debated at the Summit of the Americas to be held in Cartagena de Indias (Colombia) April 14 to 15 and attended by 34 heads of state or government, including U.S. President Barack Obama.
Baroness Meacher, who has addressed to the presidents of Colombia, Mexico, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama, said "it would be very valuable to not waste this occasion. The initiative offers the opportunity to begin a process of debate." Meacher hopes that recipients agree to include this issue "of global importance" on the agenda of the meeting in Cartagena de Indias.
In addition, the committee offers, in the letter, to involve the world's leading experts in the preparation of policies and other preparatory work.
"Only through dialogue, a serious examination of different policies and a determination to reduce the terrible damage caused by the current law, can progrsss be made," the message said. The Baroness Meacher was speaking on behalf of 75 members of different parties that are part of the drug committee of Parliament." Spanish original
End the Drug War - By Fulton T. Armstrong
This reviews the facts that we all know, but it is from a Washington "insider" who has been in all the "inside" decision-making centers. Fulton T. Armstrong has worked on Mexico, Central America, and counternarcotics at the National Security Council, National Intelligence Council, CIA, and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He is a senior fellow at American University's Center for Latin American and Latino Studies.
Foreign Policy: "All the evidence suggests that the efforts to crush Mexico's violent drug cartels have failed. Why won't the White House listen?
... we must launch a serious dialogue here on legalizing, or at least decriminalizing, the drugs. It's not a perfect solution, but it's better than no solution at all."
Foreign Policy: "All the evidence suggests that the efforts to crush Mexico's violent drug cartels have failed. Why won't the White House listen?
... we must launch a serious dialogue here on legalizing, or at least decriminalizing, the drugs. It's not a perfect solution, but it's better than no solution at all."
Mar 17, 2012
Drug Policy Debate: Ethics of the US Role in the Drug War
World Affairs Journal: "No amount of aid, however, can de-link the United States from these (drug war) conflicts—and it's this piece that has long frustrated many Latin American leaders. The United States isn't just a foreign country, helping out troubled neighbors. It's actually the very country whose consumers are keeping the market bouyant. It is part of this equation. So when Mexico goes to war with its cartels, the United States is, essentially, also at war.
In order to extricate itself from this conflict, the United States would have to cease to provide a lucrative market for drugs. And here's where the argument for decriminalization comes in."read more
In order to extricate itself from this conflict, the United States would have to cease to provide a lucrative market for drugs. And here's where the argument for decriminalization comes in."read more
Mar 10, 2012
Drug Policy Debate: U.S. Faces Challenge to "Drug War" as Latin American Countries Mull Decriminalization, Legalization
DemocracyNow: "As Vice President Joe Biden wraps up a trip to Central America insisting the drug war must continue, a growing number of Latin American leaders are calling for the decriminalization or legalization of drugs. "This debate now is no longer going to be suppressed," says Ethan Nadelmann, founder and executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance." Once U.S. officials are obliged to participate in the discussion and to do it in a real way, the smartest among them know there’s no way to defend the current U.S. strategy."" see video
Drug Policy Debate: Central American presidents to discuss options in combating drug trafficking
Vice President Biden apparently thinks the U.S. has Central America in its pocket on the drug war. But apparently local leaders have other possibilities in mind.
La Jornada: "President Porfirio Lobo of Honduras said Friday that his counterparts in Colombia, Jose Manuel Santos, and Mexico, Felipe Calderón, will join their Central American peers on March 24 in Guatemala to discuss alternatives combating drug trafficking, including decriminalization.
However, in Mexico City, sources from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and president's office reported that, to date, the attendance of the Mexican president has not been contemplated, because on March 24, Pope Benedict XVI will visit the country.
Lobo said that the Central American presidents entrusted to him to invite Santos and Calderon to Guatemala and that they have responded positively to the invitation.
Last Tuesday in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, the presidents of Central American Security Initiative (CASI) met with the U.S. Vice President Joseph Biden, to address issues relating to regional security. Subsequently, the regional leaders held a separate meeting to hear Guatemalan Otto Perez' proposal to convene a meeting to discuss alternative strategies to combat drug trafficking, which is generating growing violence in Central America.
Lobo said , "Yesterday (Thursday) I contacted President Santos. He told me that he has been working on this issue and (...) he was seekiing an agreement with the president of Mexico to bring some position to Guatemala on March 24." The president of Honduras said that Central Americans "are paying with many lives for the problem of drug trafficking and we have to find some alternatives to lower the levels of violence in the region."
Central America is considered the most violent region in the world, especially the north, including Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras. The latter country has a rate of 85 homicides per 100 000 inhabitants, one of the highest in the world." Spanish original
La Jornada: "President Porfirio Lobo of Honduras said Friday that his counterparts in Colombia, Jose Manuel Santos, and Mexico, Felipe Calderón, will join their Central American peers on March 24 in Guatemala to discuss alternatives combating drug trafficking, including decriminalization.
However, in Mexico City, sources from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and president's office reported that, to date, the attendance of the Mexican president has not been contemplated, because on March 24, Pope Benedict XVI will visit the country.
Lobo said that the Central American presidents entrusted to him to invite Santos and Calderon to Guatemala and that they have responded positively to the invitation.
Last Tuesday in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, the presidents of Central American Security Initiative (CASI) met with the U.S. Vice President Joseph Biden, to address issues relating to regional security. Subsequently, the regional leaders held a separate meeting to hear Guatemalan Otto Perez' proposal to convene a meeting to discuss alternative strategies to combat drug trafficking, which is generating growing violence in Central America.
Lobo said , "Yesterday (Thursday) I contacted President Santos. He told me that he has been working on this issue and (...) he was seekiing an agreement with the president of Mexico to bring some position to Guatemala on March 24." The president of Honduras said that Central Americans "are paying with many lives for the problem of drug trafficking and we have to find some alternatives to lower the levels of violence in the region."
Central America is considered the most violent region in the world, especially the north, including Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras. The latter country has a rate of 85 homicides per 100 000 inhabitants, one of the highest in the world." Spanish original
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