¿Decriminalizing drugs reduce violence?

This question appeared in the debates on the second day of the Third Latin American Conference on Drug Policy. Luis González Placencia, president of the Human Rights Commission of Mexico City, ruled in favor. Deputy Minister of Justice of El Salvador, Alvaro Henry Campos Solorzano, disagreed.

A representative of the Peacekeeping Police Unit of Rio de Janeiro raised the need for non -repressive social policies, and the mayor of San Jose Guaviare, Colombia, one of three places with the highest production of coca and cocaine base in that country, proposed a model centered on community organizations and limited on repression and constraint.

The Conference, which summoned experts from across the region, concludes this afternoon.

(Mexico City, 9/14/11, 12:30 pm) The combination of lack of persecution of drug users, with policies of social promotion, partnerships with community organizations in the places most affected by violence, were presented as alternatives to militarization policies in addressing the security problems associated with drugs. This morning, at the Third Latin American Conference on Drug Policy, the experiences of El Salvador, Rio de Janeiro, the city San Jose Guaviare in Colombia and Mexico City were presented.

Henry Campos Solorzano Àlvaro, Deputy Minister of Justice and Public Security of El Salvador stated: “The simple legalization of drugs does not automatically resolve the violence, since even with legal products there is theft, threats, and violent disputes between the producers. Having that the society has not overcome its problems of institutional weakness, it would be difficult to find alternatives in the health field or in the field of justice, “

Instead, Luis González Placencia, president of the Human Rights Commission of Mexico City, Mexico, offered another position: “The vicious circle of corrupt judges which resulted in advancement of the military situation in Mexico, caused an issue twenty times worse. We have over fifty thousand dead as a result of their decisions, which tells us that we must reduce the supply. Probably the legalization of drugs is not the only answer, but it would improve the situation of today. “

The government experience in a conflict zone was presented by Pedro José Arenas García, mayor of San Jose Guaviare, Colombia, one of the three states with the highest production of coca paste in Colombia, with more than 50 percent of the population displaced by violence, with more than 300 people incarcerated in the municipal jail, mostly for their participation in drug related activity, almost all farmers or small carriers.

“I advise you to rethink the local authority’s role as the body that can bring together different institutions and make them walk in the same direction,” he said in explaining his strategy to bring together community organizations. “In addition to developing culture and sport programs as well as preventive policy to avoid forced displacement, direct visits to the villages by government representatives are recommended. It is possible that the population moves mainly because of the lack of the states´ presence”.

Arenas discussed the mayors’ role , in relation to the military and police. He said it is very difficult to work with the army, because it is under the control of the President of the Republic. In contrast, the national police, although under presidential control as well, also is obligated to work with local authorities. “So, we said, life first, and as a result the number of homicides decreased from 70 to 37 during this time of the year”. To achieve this, the indication to the police was, “We do not care who is the cause of the attack, guerrillas, paramilitaries or groups associated with drug trafficking. The idea is to defend what affects lives and human rights.”

For his part, Captain Felipe Magalhães, member of the Peacekeeping Police Unit of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, commented on the “positive transformation experienced by the community with the permanent establishment of community police, which led to the departure of those linked to drug trafficking.” But he warned that “the substance abuse must be addressed, not from a policing, but a health standpoint.”

Eduardo Guerrero Gutiérrez, a Mexican expert on issues of violence, security and organized crime, did ​​a quantitative analysis of the manifestations of drug related violence: “Events like the arrest or killing of big bosses often trigger an escalation of violence, as a result of the struggle between factions for control of territory.”

He noted that once a peak is determined on the level of violence which, normally would be considered “pre-alarm level”, it is very rare that this intensity decreases, as shown by example of Chihuahua (where violence has lasted already 42 months) and Juarez (with a cycle that already reached 41 months).

Finally, Alvaro Henry Campos Solorzano, Deputy Minister of Justice and Public Safety in El Salvador concluded: “The drug-related crimes do not happen in the poorest places but in unequal ones. The criminal justice system has been overtaken by reality. While it recovers and strengthens its institutions, the needs created by violence and crime must be met. “

The Third Latin American Conference on Drug Policy concludes this afternoon with discussions on Latin America in the international context and messages from youth and drug user organizations from the region.

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