MEXICO: Increasing violence in drug war opens door to new calls for a debate on the legalization of drugs

Record ID: 303873

  • Title: MEXICO: Increasing violence in drug war opens door to new calls for a debate on the legalization of drugs
  • Date: 17th August 2010
  • Summary: CIUDAD JUAREZ, CHIHUAHUA, MEXICO (FILE) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF CAR BOMB ATTACK AGAINST FEDERAL POLICEMEN MEXICO CITY, MEXICO (FILE) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF ARRESTED MEN BEING PRESENTED BY FEDERAL POLICE
  • Embargoed: 1st September 2010 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Mexico
  • Country: Mexico
  • Topics: Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA2EE1OX440ZNSJSC3LWG36GE5O
  • Story Text: When Mexican President Felipe Calderon told a security forum that he was willing to listen to opposing arguments about the legalisation of drugs, it marked a significant shift in the government's stance on the war on drugs.
    After a number of participants at the security summit voiced support for drugs legalization, Calderon said he was ready for the debate.
    "I also take note of the debate that has come up here regarding the regulation of drugs. It is an essential debate. Firstly, I think it should be considered in a pluralistic democracy - and it is great that we have that in this country - and that the pros and cons should always be deeply analyzed. The arguments of one person and another are fundamental," Calderon said at the security forum.
    As Mexico struggles to contain a seemingly unstoppable tide of drug related violence, there are growing calls from various sectors in Mexico to put an end to prohibition.
    Former President Vicente Fox - who was a key U.S. ally in the war on drugs - blogged that prohibition had failed to curb spiralling violence and corruption.
    An estimated 28,000 people have died since late 2006, when Calderon sent soldiers and police across the country to battle drug gangs.
    Backers of legalization argue that prohibition has failed to rein in the cartels, arguing that legalization would decrease the economic power of the cartels and limit their reach.
    Government reports show drug use in the country is on the rise despite the deployment of thousands of soldiers on anti-drug operations around the country.
    Soldiers routinely destroy large fields of marijuana plants in mountainous areas and have continually seized and destroyed tonnes of drugs throughout the campaign - yet appear to have made little impact on the ability of the cartels to move drugs in and out of the country.
    A law professor in favor of legalization, Dr. Alejandro Madrazo, said government regulation could help combat addiction and rein in violence.
    "We need to regulate drugs for the drug addiction problem because prohibition is a horrible health policy. To have a good health policy we need to eliminate prohibition and move into regulation. Now, in addition, the security problems that are overflowing, the drug trafficking problem, can't be solved while we are adding to the problems of drug trafficking. We have to take away the criminal drug market, go after it from a health perspective so that we can start to deconstruct and break up the security problems that we are facing," Madrazo said.
    He said legalization could reduce the levels of violence as traffickers would no longer be compelled to fight turf wars in order to secure illegal trade routes.
    "If you take them [drugs] out of the criminal realm, and therefore make trafficking legal, then the person moving the drugs does not need to physically control territory by violent means to be able to ship the drugs. Of course violence would drop, of course not all violence would be eliminated, but it would drop. It is elementary logic. If I have my truck or load of marijuana and I can move it without the police coming to arrest me I wouldn't need to bribe police that are on the path on which I am going from Michoacan to the border. Nor do I need to fight other groups of blood and fire to control this territory because they are highways that the whole world uses," added Madrazo.
    The Catholic Church in Mexico also said it was willing to participate in the debate, but made it clear it was opposed to legalisation.
    "The Church views the fight against drug trafficking as good and that it is not right by any means to make crime legal. When crime is considered something normal society starts to lose values. In addition, the Church believes that when you try to legalize something it is because the government could not get rid of the bad thing so to smooth things out we decide it is better to legalize it," a Church spokesperson, Jose de Jesus Aguilar, told Reuters.
    With fears over escalating drugs violence growing, ordinary Mexicans say they would welcome any move that could put a stop to the bloodshed.
    "I wouldn't really like it to be legalized because it's as if it is ok to use them. But then, I think it is ok, because it is true that we have them in reach anyway and they're always around us and I think it would diminish drug trafficking if they are legalized. If buying them in established places were legal there wouldn't be so much crime in the middle," said student, Fani Cordero.
    The United States is funneling hundreds of millions of dollars into beefing up Mexico's ability to chase cartels, but there are few signs that Mexico has turned the corner.
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