The Foreign Ministers of Mexico and Colombia, Alicia Bárcena and Álvaro Leyva, respectively, pointed out that neither country is responsible for drug consumption in the United States and that the approach to combating this problem must change.
When opening this Saturday’s session of the Latin American and Caribbean Conference on Drugs, the diplomats agreed that it is necessary to have a new vision that allows for a more effective fight and with less violence for the region.
“There is no doubt that Mexico has a neighbor of 3,152 kilometers and we know that it is a scourge that severely affects, especially the issue of synthetic drugs today affecting more than one hundred thousand young people in the United States a year, we are very aware of this, but our countries are not responsible for the fact that there is a society that has these problems of consumption and social organization,” said Bárcena.
“I want to say that we wanted to accompany Colombia in the organization of this meeting because today more than ever it is very important to advance this paradigm shift and address the drug problem with a much more comprehensive view.”
For his part, Leyva said that the drug problem has expanded throughout the region and no longer only affects one or two countries, but impacts the entire continent and the acts of violence that recently occurred in Ecuador show that it is necessary change focus to prevent the mafias that control the market from continuing to expand.
“There is a fundamental economic rule that is neither left nor right nor Marxist, it is very simple: if there is no demand there is no supply, but the analysis is always done in relation to the responsibility of the producers and no one has called them out. attention to consumers.
“The day that consumption disappears – which will be impossible – the crops and the supply of hallucinogens disappear, in such a way that, let’s say that that is the philosophy that this call contains,” he emphasized.
Bárcena attended the session accompanied by the Secretaries of Defense, Luis Cresencio Sandoval and Navy, Rafael Ojeda, who, in a private session, will present Mexico’s work in monitoring ports and customs to prevent illegal trafficking of fentanyl. cocaine and other illicit substances.
The Chancellor said that Mexico, in addition to fighting drug cartels, is also addressing the causes that cause young people to join these criminal organizations.
“That we dedicate ourselves decisively to addressing the ultimate causes that allow organized crime to take advantage, feeding on men and women who are forced to dedicate their lives to producing crops or psychoactive substances and many of our young people who do not find opportunities are they go hand in hand and enter into illicit activities,” he said.
