Semana, Colombia

The Echo of the Argument on Drug Trafficking between Venezuela and the U.S .at the OAS Meeting Still Resounds

Translated by Fortunato Brown

January 24, 2008

Colombia - Semana - Original Article (Spanish)

The serious dispute shocked the meeting of the multilateral organization and uncovered the difficult relations between the two countries. Washington warned Caracas about the grave consequences that its support to the FARC would bring.

The echo is still resounding all over the continent of the argument held last Tuesday at OAS meeting. The deputy chancellor and ambassador from Venezuela, Jorge Valero, denounced that his country has suffered new aggression from the US.  It all began with the declarations by a White House officer who said that president Hugo Chavez has become a “facilitator” of drug trafficking.

Last week, when John P. Walters, director of the National Agency against Drugs of the White House visited Bogota, he declared that Chavez “is becoming the great facilitator of cocaine traffic to Europe and other parts of the hemisphere because of his negligence in fighting drug trafficking”.

As a result of this, at a special OAS meeting the ambassador said that his country absolutely and categorically rejects such irresponsible accusation.

Argentina and Nicaragua back the Venezuelan position and additionally point out to the fight against drugs the government of that country is carrying out.

In view of the discussions, the Colombian ambassador in Nicaragua, Camilo Ospina, asked that the participants should not meddle in his country’s matters.

The argument began because Hugo Chavez refused to take several opportunities at the invitation by the subsecretary of State, Thomas A. Shannon, to work together on “specific areas” of bilateral relations - particularly drug trafficking.

Shannon said that one of the “very important” areas he meant to improve with Venezuela was the fight against drugs, which should be fought “trans-nationally and not country by country”, reported the A.P.  He added that with the purpose of fighting drug trafficking, George W. Bush had proposed a program of $1.4 billion dollars for Mexico and seven Central American countries, which would complement the regional efforts of Colombia and the Caribbean, to which Venezuela should adhere, but unfortunately, no strategic plan exists to which this country is a party.

Shannon explained that it is possible that Venezuela is being used as a route to send drugs by air from Colombia.  From there, flights are made to Brazil only using only short-distance aircraft, and drugs are therefore generally transported by river or in short flights across Venezuela destined for the Caribbean, Africa and Europe.

Valero stated that “in this fight, Venezuela is willing to establish a genuine bilateral cooperation with any country in the world, provided the fundamental principles in international law -sovereignty and non intervention- are observed”.

He added that “The government of the US does not have any moral authority to self-appoint itself the world court in the matter of drug fighting”. “How many drug kings have been arrested in this country?  How many banks and financial institutions involved in drug money laundering have been closed?  Why does this country continue to be the greatest consumer of drugs in the world?”

Last Tuesday the Venezuelan chief of the anti-narcotics office accused the U.S. of using drug fighting as a “political weapon” when rejecting the Washington accusation that the Venezuelan president facilitates the trafficking of cocaine to Europe and other regions in this continent.

It looks like in view of the tense relations that Chavez has nurtured during his eight years in government, opposing Washington, it will be impossible to reach a consolidated agreement against Colombian drug traffic.

However, “it is surprising that North American authorities claim that for the third consecutive year Venezuela does not collaborate to the fight against drug trafficking. The UN report on drug fighting states that Venezuela is the third country with the most seizures of drugs in the world”, commented the Venezuelan president.

“Although it is true that the seizure of drugs diminished somewhat from 2006 figures, in which year 70 tons of diverse drugs were sequestered, it is important to highlight the demolition of 13 laboratories in 2007, as these actions meant a heavy attack to the production of cocaine”, informed Valero to AP agency, and added that according to official records, 57.5 tons of diverse drugs were seized in Venezuela, in 2007.

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