Secretary General of the Organisation of American States (OAS) José Miguel Insulza says the Caribbean region needs to have a serious debate about the drug problem. “It is very important that the discussions that we started at the assembly of the OAS only a month ago can open a way for a debate on the matter. We have been worrying about the issue of drugs for the last 40 years. A lot of drugs were confiscated in 2010, but half of the cocaine that was produced was confiscated. Sadly, the drug trade continues,” Insulza said.
Insulza was speaking on the second day of the 34th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) at the Hilton Trinidad and Conference Centre, St Ann’s, on Thursday. He referred to the report titled The Drug Problem of the Americas which he presented to experts on the eradication of drug abuse in the US last week.
Copies were sent to all heads of governments of the region also, he said. “Something has to be done with regard to the use of drugs and reducing the violence.” He said the drug problem exists throughout the region but each country has its own specific situation. “In Central America only three per cent of the drugs produced is consumed in that region, but the violence there is high. In Chile the drug use is high, but the violence is low. But we must find out why in each country the problem is different,” he said.
He said at the University of the West Indies (UWI), St Augustine campus at the end of July there would be a conference on the OAS Drug Report. “The National Drug Council of T&T will participate and representatives of the OAS,” he said.