MOTHERS AGAINST PACO: ARGENTINE NOMINEE FOR INTERNATIONAL

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 002065 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR PAULA DOBRIANSKY, G/IWI DEPT FOR TOM SHANNON AND CRAIG KELLY, WHA/BSC AND WHA/PPC E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KWMN SNAR KCRM PHUM ASEC AR SUBJECT: MOTHERS AGAINST PACO: ARGENTINE NOMINEE FOR INTERNATIONAL WOMEN OF COURAGE REF: STATE 126072 ¶1. (U) Summary. Below is Post's nomination for the 2008 International Woman of Courage Award. In Argentina, women have led a number of social and political causes, such as struggles against trafficking in persons, human rights abuses, poverty, and drug abuse. AmEmb Buenos Aires' nomination recognizes a group of mothers known as the "Mothers Against Paco," who have risked their lives confronting drug traffickers operating in shantytowns and talking to drug addicts about the dangers of using the highly addictive, destructive cocaine derivative known as "paco." Their efforts have brought national public and official attention to Argentina's domestic drug problem with little more than cell phones and the collective will to fight the drug traffickers that prey on their children. End Summary. ¶2. (U) Full legal name of nominee: Mara Rosa Gonzalez Job title/association: President, "Mujeres por la Vida" (Women for Life) also known as "Madres del Paco" (Mothers Against Paco) Date of birth: July 21, 1963 Country of birth: Argentina Citizenship: Argentine Address: Eva Persn 6378, Manzana 3, Casa 39, Buenos Aires, Argentina Telephone: (011) 15-5492-2833 E-mail: mariarosacontraelpaco@yahoo.com Passport number: No passport ¶3. (U) At 19, Maria Rosa Gonzalez's son, Jeremias, became an addict to "paco", a highly addictive, life-threatening chemical byproduct of cocaine. Like many paco users, he would rob from his own family in order to support his drug habit. Ms. Gonzalez's older son, Jose, also became addicted to the drug. Because the drug is smoked rather than sniffed, the physiological impacts are addictive and usually cause lasting physical damage. The Buenos Aires provincial government says that intense paco consumption can cause "cerebral death" in as little as six months. Formerly considered lab trash, paco originally sold for just one peso per dose, about 30 cents (USD),and spread rapidly through Argentina's impoverished neighborhoods after the country's 2001 financial collapse. The local press estimates that paco consumption in the city of Buenos Aires has increased by 300-500% since 2005. ¶4. (U) Paco use in Argentina is very similar to the crack epidemic in the United States, with the same collateral damage to users and their families. Considered a "poor man's drug", paco only delivers a two-minute high, and users look to repeat the experience immediately. The local press reports that users will often do 50-200 hits a day. The drug is killing and maiming poor Argentine youth in epic proportions, with the local press estimating that one person a day dies from paco-related causes, such as suicide or murder. The Mothers Against Paco have seen children in their neighborhoods as young as nine fall victim to the addiction. A recent study shows that paco is increasingly making its way out of the shanty towns into more middle-class areas. ¶5. (U) In an effort to save her son, Gonzalez courageously staged a street protest in 2005 and blocked a major road to highlight attention to the problem. Her objective was two-fold: to obtain from the government proper treatment to save her son from paco addiction, and to bring attention to the fact that drug trafficking took place in her neighborhood. As a result of the protest, the Argentine drug agency responsible for drug prevention and the fight against drug trafficking, SEDRONAR, agreed to place her son in long-term drug rehabilitation. He has since recovered, but suffers from non-reversible side effects from paco usage. Gonzalez did not stop there. Unable to watch so many children waste away as a result of the drug, Gonzalez decided in 2006 to work with other mothers from the shantytown of Ciudad Oculta, or "the Hidden City", to form the group "Women for Life" (Mujeres por la Vida). The group is made up of more than 150 women and is also known colloquially as the "Mothers Against Paco" (Madres del Paco). The Mothers began meeting once a week to share their experiences and devise strategies to prompt the government to step up its efforts to fight illegal drug trafficking. ¶6. (U) Although the Mothers Against Paco are made up of women of humble origin, they are indeed women of courage, as they take to mean streets at night to talk to addicts about the dangers of using the drug. This is an act of profound courage. They and their families live in marginal areas with virtually no government presence, where police fear, or do not bother, to patrol. They have put their lives at risk by denouncing known drug traffickers who have preyed on their children. Thanks to their efforts, in February 2007, drug lord Isidro Ramirez was charged with drug trafficking and given eight years in prison for selling drugs to minors as well as possession of illegal weapons. The Mothers hope their fight will eventually help break the cycle of fear and silence surrounding the illicit drug trade so that others will begin to denounce dealers and users. ¶7. (U) The Mothers, furthermore, have pressed the government to revamp hospital and drug treatment centers, as they are currently ill-equipped to rehabilitate paco addicts. According to Gonzalez, these centers receive a limited amount of government funds based strictly on admission rather than the number of days a patient stays at the center. As a result, the centers have no incentive to keep the patients longer than a day. Experts state that treating and reversing paco addiction requires long-term hospitalization and psychiatric rehabilitation. Once the Mothers have identified a paco user in need of drug rehabilitation, Gonzalez has successfully lobbied SEDRONAR to ensure that public hospitals admit the paco users immediately, so that they do not lose what might be the one chance to save these addicts. In May, the Mothers marched in front of the Casa Rosada and presented a petition to Argentine President Nestor Kirchner calling on the government to open drug rehabilitation centers that specialize in the recovery of paco addicts. ¶8. (U) Ms. Gonzalez recounts tragic experiences with young addicts on the verge of suicide, some of whom she has been able to save and others not. The Mothers are Argentina's leading experts on the impact of paco on addicts, their families, and society. They have launched and continue to manage targeted programs for prevention and healing with no resources at hand, save for powerful reserves of maternal affection, intuition, and intelligence. As the need for their services grows rapidly, they are responding as quickly as their capabilities permit. ¶9. (U) The Mothers Against Paco have brought national public and official attention to Argentina's domestic drug problem with little more than cell phones and the collective will to fight the drug traffickers that prey on their children. Argentina has long been considered a transit country for drugs destined primarily for the European market. As such, Argentine society has tended to view drug trafficking as a European or U.S. problem. The Mothers Against Paco have helped to raise awareness in civil society that Argentina is now a destination country with ever-increasing domestic consumption and accompanying social ills. Recognizing their efforts will elevate the profile of the Mothers Against Paco's cause, and may enhance prospects for strengthened counternarcotics cooperation from the Argentine government. ¶10. (U) Buenos Aires emboffs for women's issues are Heidi Gomez, gomezhn@state.gov and Mara Tekach, tekachmm@state.gov. WAYNE