Venezuelans Seize 2 Tons of Drugs on Colombian Border

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Inside Costa Rica

Sunday 19 September 2010
Venezuelans Seize 2 Tons of Drugs on Colombian Border

CARACAS - The Venezuelan National Guard detained a truck from Colombia carrying 2,700 kilograms of marijuana in the border state of Táchira, military commander Franklin Márquez announced on Saturday.

In a telephone interview with the Venezolana de Televisión television network, Márquez stressed that the vehicle was using the transportation of bricks as a facade, but its real aim was a load of 2,659 bundles of drugs.

Márquez, chief of the Border Commando No. 1, said his men were fighting both drug trafficking and drug dealing in towns near the border. He also referred to the results of the strengthening of checkpoints on the border with Colombia. This year, more than 13 tons of drugs have been seized by Border Commando No.1 of the National Guard, Marquez stated.

Venezuela has confiscated almost 50 tons of narcotics from Colombia to date this year, mainly marijuana and cocaine, since this country has been free of illegal crop-growing since 2008.

Read more: http://www.insidecostarica.com/dailynews/2010/september/19/latinamerica10091902.htm

[Proletariatprincess]

1. Will this finally put an end to the right wing lies about drug trafficking in Venezuela?

Nah....come to think of it. Has to be one or the other.....terrorist or drug trafficker.
During the Cold War, being a Commie or Socialist was enough to earn the emity of the USA. Not so much now......the wars are against terrorism and drugs. Has to be on or the other...but all lies nonetheless.

[rabs]

2. Sadly, some of those lies are coming from Obama's White House

~~~~~~~~~~ snips ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Obama, in a memorandum released Thursday, named Venezuela along with Bolivia and Myanmar as “countries that have failed demonstrably during the previous 12 months to adhere to their obligations under international counternarcotics agreements.”

In response, Chavez lashed out at the Obama administration, calling it “an irresponsible government, a murderous government, a coup-mongering government.” Chavez has long said the U.S. uses the drug issue against him for political reasons, saying Venezuela is making significant efforts to stem the flow of Colombian cocaine.

In a televised speech, Chavez pointed to this week’s arrest of an alleged boss of Colombia’s Norte de Valle cartel, noting he is one of 16 drug suspects detained by Venezuelan authorities this year. The arrest of Jaime Alberto Marin was announced Thursday, and Colombian Defense Minister Rodrigo Rivera Salazar praised his capture as an example of effective police work by both countries.


http://www.japantoday.com/category/world/view/chavez-insists-venezuela-wont-accept-obamas-nominee-for-ambassador

[Vidar]

22. Obama: the kindler, gentler, smarter, less embarassing version of the Shrub.

[COLGATE4]

3. It'[s a great deal more complicated than that.. The interdiction

could just as easily have been brought about by one group of traffickers selling out another's shipment. This type of stuff just isn't as cut and dried as you might believe in Latin America.

[EFerrari]

9. In Latin America? What about, anywhere where there is trafficking?

That has nothing to do with the repeated baseless charge that Venezuela isn't doing enough about drug trafficking because it's industry wide, not limited to Venezuela or to Latin America.

[Odin2005]

4. Of course they won't.

[hack89]

6. I didn't know the UN was right wing.

Here is the 2010 UN World Drug Report.

According to the UN Venezuela is the number one drug transshipment point in the region. Search the entire document for Venezuela - it is not a pretty picture.

http://www.unodc.org/documents/wdr/WDR_2010/World_Drug_Report_2010_lo-res.pdf

[Mike Marble]

7. Here's what UNODC actually says:

Venezuela is not the number one drug transshipment point in the region. It accounts for maybe 25% of cocaine exported from South America. It is a "prominent transshipment location," and so is Peru, Colombia, Mexico, and the Central American states.

From the UNODC:

"According to US estimates, some 70% of the cocaine leaves Colombia via the Pacific, 20% via the Atlantic and 10% via the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and the Caribbean." (That's cocaine destined for the US. Venezuela's role is more significant in cocaine headed for Europe)

And:

"In addition, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela has emerged as a prominent trans-shipment location for cocaine destined for Europe and the United States, according to Colombian, US and European sources, reflected, inter alia, in strong increases of Colombian overland cocaine shipments to the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. Cocaine transiting the Bolivarian Republic
of Venezuela en route to the USA frequently departs by air from locations close to the border with Colombia for
destinations in the Dominican Republic, Honduras and other Caribbean and Central American countries, as well as Mexico.

"Moreover, the importance of the Central American countries as trans-shipment locations has increased in recent years. Most of this cocaine is destined for Mexico and the United States, though some is also locally trafficked."

[Judi Lynn]

8. Thank you for directing attention to a clear look at the facts. Makes a difference.

Welcome to D.U., Mike Marble. :hi:

[hack89]

11. The UN report is damning to Chavez

it clearly shows that drug trafficking from Venezuela has increased during his time in power. It says so in black and white.

[hack89]

10. 51 percent of the cocaine going to Europe come through Venezuela

and these statements seems pretty damning - certainly implies that things are getting worse under Chavez:

In addition, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela has emerged as a prominent trans-shipment location for cocaine destined for Europe and the United States.

Shipments to Europe, particularly large maritime shipments, have been increasingly transiting the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in recent years. In fact, for cocaine seized since 2004 where the origin could be determined, 41% have been traced back to the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.55 According to the new Maritime Analysis Operation Centre (MAOC-N), more than half (51%) of all intercepted shipments in the Atlantic over the 2006-2008 period started their journey in theBolivarian Republic of Venezuela. Direct shipments from Colombia accounted for just 5% of the total.

As the Colombian Government has taken greater control of its territory,traffickers are making more use of transit countries in the region, including the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and Ecuador.

looks to me that when the Colombians pressured the cartels they simply set up shop in Venezuela. It is impossible to spin this as a positive thing. It is bad in Venezuela and getting worse.

[Mike Marble]

12. No, you're just trying to score cheap political points against Chavez.

I don't think anyone denies that Venezuela is a significant transshipment country. But you imply that is it somehow because of Chavez. He has thrown out the DEA for interfering in Venezuelan domestic affairs, but Venezuela continues to make large drug busts.

Do you blame Obama for all the drugs being produced in and entering into the US?

Do you blame Colombian President Santos for all the cocaine produced there?

Do you blame Mexican President Calderon for Mexico being an even bigger transshipment country than Venezuela?

Do you blame the Central American heads of state for the drugs flowing through there?

Doubtless in every one of these countries, corrupt officials are involved in the trade. But that's a far cry for trying to insinuate that it is the policy of the sitting government, whether in Washington or Caracas.

[hack89]

13. Crime and drug violence has skyrocketed under Chavez

that is a fact that cannot be spun away. Either he is incompetent to govern or is a part of the problem.

[Judi Lynn]

14. Why don't you prove it? Don't just throw a heap of vague links out, and instruct others

to shuffle through them.

You get the PROOF Hugo Chavez is himself responsible for this and you post it.

If you don't have the ability to do it, then drop the subject. We don't have the time to continue indulging you.

Use the porta potty or move on.

[hack89]

17. So Presidents can't be held responsible?

isn't it enough to say that since he can't fix the problem (in fact it has gotten worse since he took office) it is a reflection of his competence to lead a modern country? America has a fraction of Venezuela's crime and poverty and look how upset DU is in the direction that American society has taken.

[Judi Lynn]

19. If the people of Venezuela felt he's bad for their country they wouldn't have re-elected him.

It's as simple as that.

Apparently they DON'T see him as being responsible for crimes occurring in their country, or others besides right-wing oligarchs and their parasitic advocates would be the ones who've attempted to dump all the responsibility for crime at his feet.

You know you're not going to sell that yarn here to Democrats.

[hack89]

21. Since the American electorate re-elected both Bush and Reagan

can we therefore say they were good for the country? Didn't think so.

[Mike Marble]

15. Drug violence is up in Venezuela?

I know there is a high murder rate in Caracas, but I have heard nothing about drug trade-related violence there.

Are you sure you're not confusing Chavez with Calderon? He's the one presiding over a massive wave of drug-trade related violence. Like 28,000+ dead in the last three years. I haven't read that about Venezuela.

[hack89]

16. Why don't you take the time to read the UN report? nt

[Name removed]

5. Deleted message

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[boppers]

18. "this country has been free of illegal crop-growing since 2008"

"There are no American tanks anywhere in Baghdad!"

Right-o.

[UTUSN]

20. What, Hugo had a hot date with Naomi?!1 n/t