Former Attorney General of Colombia Gustavo de Greiff Restrepo believes that legalizing drugs is the way

PR Newswire

In this interview with Gustavo de Greiff Restrepo, who defeated the Medellin cartel in 1993, says that a policy to "regulate production and trade of drugs, accompanied by educational campaigns to reduce consumption and implement medical treatment to addicts who is what is legalized, "is the best way to combat drug trafficking.

Question: Why does operating that were useless operations against drug traffickers and strategies that were implemented in co Colo m bia in 1993?
Answer: I realized that nothing we drew to kill people, to intercept shipments, with spraying plantations and put in jail for drug traffickers. The business is so obscene and produces so much money that they are immediately replaced those who go to jail or die.

Q: You mean you did not help the OP?
A: The operations were used to kill a lot of drug dealers and put in jail to another. Just.

Q: How many lives it cost to Colombia to combat drug trafficking?
A: There were many policemen killed, many judges. At least, some 2 000 civilian deaths, 200 drug traffickers, three leaders of cartels, and more than 200 drug dealers in jail and more than 2 000 people imprisoned drug related.

Q: How many drug bosses?
A: The cartel of the Atlantic Coast, the Pacific Coast, the Cucuta and the most important at that time, Medellin, headed by Pablo Escobar.

Q: What other actions taken, ie, there was also appropriated as in Mexico's drug?
R: expropriation of haciendas, destroyed laboratories, vehicles, aircraft and ships. But with the difference that in Colombia there was a Forfeiture Act and Enrichment Act, which had the advantage of not following an expropriation process to remove the property to the drug traffickers, manufacturers, without compensation, which is what would be needed here in Mexico. In Colombia, they could remove many goods to the narcos do not remember the amount.

Q: No one does the right thing in Mexico Are we doing the right thing with the expropriations and operational Tepito implemented?
A: None of the countries are doing the right thing in the fight against drug trafficking. He's doing the right thing in terms of immediate impact, but that does not end the drug trade.

The drug war was developed in a very energetic 40 years ago by the United States, the Nixon administration. It has been over 40 years and in all countries suffering from drug problems and drug use, the results are very poor: consumption has not declined, nor the influx of drugs on the market.

Q: The case of Mexico, how do you evaluate?
A: The war on drugs serves to remove the goods, to intercept shipments, put them in jail, but not to kill the business. The proof is 40 years of war and production continues, prices will not increase but decrease.

The solution is legalization

Q: So what is the right step or strategy in this fight?
A: For me the passage is that the drug problem would be solved by legalization, and regulation of production and consumption of the drug trade, but accompanied by educational campaigns, medical and public health to reduce consumption.

And that brings me to tell the hand that here in Mexico there is much enthusiasm for repressive measures that the Calderon administration is taking. These measures are good in that end with organizations, he gets to prison some, be extradited to another, but the business will continue as it has in Colombia because it is so good for the drug traffickers will always find who traffics in spite the fear of being caught and repressive measures.

Q: What negative effects can happen with seizures?
A: They could lose cases to redress the harm to innocent people.

Should look to the example of Colombia. ha sido o no efectivo para terminar contra el narco. Now Mexican officials have traveled to Colombia to see how he has done in its war against drugs, but they have not stopped to think if what Colombia has done has been effective or not to terminate against drugs. It has been effective in putting to jail the few, to intercept shipments in destruction of laboratories. But it has not been effective to end the drug problem.

Q: is to remove the business Legalize And corruption among police authority and is an additional factor that makes difficult the battle against drug trafficking?
A: The worst thing you can be in this business is that it enriches the drug traffickers and corrupt. As the business is prohibited authorities need coexistence. If the business was legitimate, regulated by law, this would not happen.

I look with sympathy and understand: when you talk about legalization, it is said that their children can have the drug on hand.

But misunderstanding, not an invitation to consume, to be made propaganda, is a way to remove the business to regulate drug traffickers and manufacturers.

Is to eliminate corruption.

P: A recommendation for the Mexican authorities?
A: They are on the right way to say they are enforcing the law and say they are putting people in jail. But go astray, as will Colombia, United States, Peru, Bolivia, etc., as to end the drug problem.

We recognize the same DEA agents, they say they will win every battle against drug traffickers, but never the war. So, why these efforts by the terrible danger we put to the police, agencies, if the solution is regulation? I understand that Mexico, Colombia or Brazil alone can not legalize, because they would become ill of mankind. You need the assistance of the United States is the largest consumer of drugs, but while there is a moral theory that drugs are immoral and that, therefore, we must prohibit and combat and put into jail those who distribute and consume not be possible.

Q: Do you think that a country as conservative as Mexico is promoting legalization?
A: What should be achieved by our countries facing the problem of production and trade of drugs is to promote a debate, he sowed the idea that legalization is not an invitation to eat and try to move to the U.S. to policy change.

When I was ambassador to Colombia here, four years speaks volumes about legalization.

I talked a lot with Mexican officials gave me the reason. I can not say their names, but they disagreed, and none dared to speak. So as an officer and told him why I wanted the United States and launched a campaign as a prosecutor in Colombia, saying the prosecution was a friend of drug traffickers and so I wanted to legalize.

Q: We are in a losing fight against drug trafficking if we do not legalization?
A: After much blood, money and human lives lost, our country could be devoted to better things than we are doing, instead of being in a fight that is lost as evidenced by 40 years of war. United States began with six million dollars and are right now in more than 13 thousand 500 million dollars and the results are very poor.

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