Caracas under fire for failure in drugs war

[question everything]

Source: Financial Times

A spiralling drug trafficking problem in Venezuela has been made worse by official corruption and a refusal to co-operate with the US, according to a forthcoming US Congress report.

A copy of the report, obtained by the Financial Times, showed that efforts to combat a fourfold increase in cocaine smuggling through Venezuela between 2004 and 2007 have been damaged by corruption in the national guard, which, it says, co-operates with Colombian drug traffickers.

(snip)

Despite more than $6bn (£3.7bn) invested by the US government to attack Colombia's cocaine trade, the report argues that this has been undermined by Venezuela's failure to prevent leftwing guerrilla groups such as the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc) from using its territory as a haven.

The Farc, which US officials fear enjoys the support of Venezuela's President Hugo Chávez, are believed to send about 60 per cent of the cocaine that reaches the US from Colombia.


Read more: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/7fc97800-71a1-11de-a821-00144feabdc0.html

[Romulox]

1. Why should Venezuela enforce America's War on Drugs?

Is there some sort of treaty obligation here? If not, Venezuelan farmers should be free to produce this crop.

[L. Coyote]

3. Growing coca is illegal in Venezuela. Problem is smuggling from Colombia.

and is likely overstated here for political purposes by anti-Chavez people.

[Romulox]

6. It's illegal only to the extent that Venezuela chooses to enforce this ban

And none of the British (Financial Times) or American (Drug Warriors) business, at any rate.

[Flaneur]

9. Coca growing is banned under the 1961 UN Single Convention

It is grown legally in only two countries, Peru and Bolivia, for traditional and industrial purposes. Even there, much of the coca crop ends up as cocaine.

Bolivian President Morales is leading an effort to amend the single convention to remove coca from the list of banned substances.

There is no (or very little) coca grown in Venezuela; it is a transshipment country.

[Romulox]

11. Then take it up with the General Counsel. That Convention authorizes no unilateral enforcement

as far as I can tell. :shrug:

[endarkenment]

2. Gee this is a crok of shit.

Note that even if one accepts the bullshit that FARC is responsible for 60% of the drug trafficking, that leaves 40% coming from the rightwing groups aligned with the fascist government of Colombia. Note also that the problem is COLOMBIA not Venezuela.

[bemildred]

5. Yep, pure, pulled straight out of the horse horseshit. nt

[AlphaCentauri]

4. In other news

Thousands die in latin america so Joe Syringe get his daily dose in the comfort of his home.

[Flaneur]

10. Hey, don't blame drug users for the evils of prohibition!

Are thousands dying in the beer war? Oh, there isn't any beer war anymore, because we ended prohibition.

[Romulox]

12. Hey. I bet more storm troopers will help us win this war!

The problem is that we just haven't put enough people in jail for drug use.

:puke:

[Vidar]

7. The US never takes credit for its own stupidity & corruption.

[dipsydoodle]

8. Always worth checking out

other articles by the authors of these pieces - in this case Benedict Mander.

Here for example : http://www.hacer.org/report/2009/06/venezuelan-private-media-fear-fresh.html

[Judi Lynn]

13. Response to the original article: "Venezuelan drug seizures on the rise"

Venezuelan drug seizures on the rise
Published: July 20 2009 03:00 | Last updated: July 20 2009 03:00

From Mr Samuel Moncada.

Sir, In response to your report "Caracas under fire for failure in drugs war" (July 16): according to the 2009 World Drug Report from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, cocaine seizures in Venezuela have actually increased after the suspension of co-operation schemes with the US Drug Enforcement Administration. While co-operating with the DEA, the Venezuelan yearly average amounted to only 27.1 tonnes, whereas after the suspension in 2005, it has always been beyond 30 tonnes a year.

Venezuela has a very positive record of international co-operation against drug trafficking. We have signed more than 50 agreements with countries in Europe, the Americas and Africa. More than 20 drug lords have been captured and deported to various countries, such as Belgium, Colombia, France, Italy and the US.

Venezuela's efforts against illegal drug trafficking have paid off and have been acknowledged by the international community. Manipulation of the issue by US politicians does not contribute to the improvement of relations between both countries. US leaders need to signal clearly that their main motivation is indeed the fight against illegal drug trafficking, not the destabilisation of the Venezuelan government.

Samuel Moncada,

Ambassador of Venezuela to the UK
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/6ee97668-74c4-11de-8ad5-00144feabdc0,Authorised=false.html?_i_location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ft.com%2Fcms%2Fs%2F0%2F6ee97668-74c4-11de-8ad5-00144feabdc0.html&_i_referer=