Governments in Latinamerica analyze a change in drug policies

The technical report entrusted last year by the presidents to the agency is ready and would be presented in Colombia on May 20. In addition, the Drugs issue will be the main topic in the General Assembly to be held in June in Guatemala, one of the countries that has promoted a new approach on the subject

The debate on a new strategy to address the drugs issue which has for years been promoting activists, specialists, health workers, users and civil society organizations, has finally reached the governmental level. For this reason, during the last Summit of the Americas, regional presidents instructed the Organization of American States (OAS) to develop a hemispheric study on Drugs.

Work started immediately and, in late February, was held in Panama the second consultation on new alternative scenarios to address the drug problem. Once completed, both the analytic report and the scenarios report, were delivered to Secretary General of the OAS and would be submitted in Bogotá, Colombia, on 20 May.

Rethinking strategies

According to Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, "This report will be another valuable contribution to understand more precisely what we are facing and how we can adjust our approach to achieve better results in this fight." For the president, "it is time to rethink our strategies" and "examine how we can continue our work in a more rational and efficient way."

Santos said that "it is not only a study for American countries. At the CELAC and the European Union Summit, held in Chile last January, I called on European countries to join us in considering the results of this study and to agree on taking actions that guarantee the success of the Special Session that the United Nations is planning for 2016."

Historical dialogue

From 6 to 8 June Guatemala will host the OAS General Assembly, which will include all the foreign ministers of the continent. According to the Foreign Minister of the host country, Luis Fernando Carrera, is expected to achieve a "historic dialogue" that turns around the approaches to address the drug problem.

The main theme this time will be "alternative strategies to fight drugs." Carrera said the intention is to pass five subtopics: "Strengthening the public health systems in prevention of drug consumption and addiction; reducing homicides and drug-related crimes; promoting local economic development and the legalization of crops; reducing arms trafficking and money laundering, and decriminalizing of consumption to reduce the prison population."

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