Anti-drug Czar in the United States assures that legalization will not solve the drug problem

WASHINGTON, DC (September 06, 2013) The Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy Gil Kerlikowske, said that legalizing drugs will not reduce consumption or criminality. "No war strategy against drugs or legalization will solve the complex problem of drugs in the world. Police actions will play a vital role, but here in the United States we know that consumers many times start successful treatments as a result of police intervention", said Kerlikowske in his speech during CAF's XVII Conferencia Anual, which ended last Thursday in Washington D.C. 

Despite not coinciding with some of the ideas included in the drug report presented by the Organization of American States (OAS) last May, the US Head of the Anti-Drug Organization recognized its contribution by trying to deal with the problem in a comprehensive manner. 

At the same time, the Secretary General of the OAS, Jose Miguel Insulza, stated that one of the conclusions of this report is that the problem cannot be addressed merely from a repressive point of view. "If drugs are also a subject of public health, sick people should not end up in jail. We cannot fill jails with people who have drug problems." 

For others, the OAS report uncovered taboos that were hidden. The former Chief of the National Police of Colombia, General Oscar Naranjo, noted that, "After this serious multidisciplinary study there begins to be consensus in the Americas regarding the need to humanize this problem." However, he warned that there should be no false expectations, saying that, "This new approach will not make delinquent activities related to drug trafficking disappear. Fighting against the criminal economy means to fight for democratic values over mob values imposed by these groups." 

At the same time, the Minister of Foreign Relations of Guatemala, Fernando Carrera, highlighted the importance of the report in the promotion of a comprehensive debate regarding this problem. "It is necessary to rethink our policies on a hemispheric level. Cooperation must be restated as currently it is only linked to compliance with the law. There must also be cooperation so that people can get out of drug trafficking and so that communities have access to other opportunities." 

More than 1,000 political leaders of the region and the United States, staff from international organizations, distinguished entrepreneurs, members of the financial community, academics, journalists, and political analysts participated in this year´s edition of CAF´s 17^th Annual Conference. In this gathering, topics of hemispheric interest were discussed, such as migration reform and its implications for relationships with Latin America, the United States´ foreign policy, economic development, as well as innovation, and entrepreneurial spirit. 

CAF´s mission is to promote sustainable development and integration in Latin America, through the creation and implementation of a comprehensive development agenda, where the organization contributes financing and knowledge on infrastructure, social development, environmental sustainability, productivity, international insertion, institutional strengthening, and public policies.