COMMISSION OF FORMER LATIN PRESIDENTS SUGGESTS

C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 000792

SIPDIS

NSC FOR ONDCP

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/28/2018
TAGS: SNAR PGOV KJUS CO
SUBJECT: COMMISSION OF FORMER LATIN PRESIDENTS SUGGESTS
DEBATE OVER DRUG POLICIES

REF: 09 BOGOTA 749

Classified By: Political Counselor John Creamer
Reasons 1.4 (b and d)

SUMMARY
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1 (C) The Latin American Commission on Drugs and Democracy,
headed by former Colombian President Cesar Gaviria, former
Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo, and former Brazilian
President Fernando Henrique Cardoso, released a report on
February 11th questioning the priorities of the USG and GOC
counternarcotics strategy. The group criticized the
"prohibitionist" U.S. strategy and urged consideration of the
European "reduction of harm," or public health, model. The
report urged decriminalizing marijuana for personal use.
President Uribe vehemently rejected the Commission's
conclusions and urged his coalition to re-criminalize the
possession of small amounts of drugs (legalized by the
Constitutional Court in 1994). Gaviria later told us that he
had sought to make the declaration balanced, insisting that
it highlight the lack of European support for antidrug
efforts and ensuring it did not criticize the use of the
military or aerial eradication. End summary.

COMMISSION CALLS CURRENT STRATEGY A FAILURE
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2. (U) The report said the USG's "prohibitionist" policies
based on repressing production, interdicting shipments, and
criminalizing consumption have failed to achieve their
desired results. Latin America remained the world's primary
exporter of cocaine and marijuana, while consumption levels
in Latin America continued to rise. The policies have
inflicted a huge human toll and threatened democratic
institutions: increased levels of organized crime, higher
levels of violence, and widespread corruption of politicians
and public security forces. The report cited Colombia as an
example of these policy shortcomings, arguing that the
cultivation of coca and export of cocaine increased despite
30 years of anti-narcotics efforts. It cited the escalating
drug-fueled violence in Mexico as further evidence that the
policies have failed.


3. (U) The Commission lauded Europe's approach of reducing
the damage caused by drugs and treating the problem as a
public health issue. Still, the Commission argued that the
best long-term solution to the drug problem was demand
reduction, which it argued Europe failed to do. The report
concluded with a call for a new paradigm for the drug problem
in Latin America. It recommends: (1) treating drug
consumers and addicts as public health patients versus
criminals, (2) considering the decriminalization of marijuana
for personal use, (3) cutting consumption by targeting young
people with education, (4) focusing law enforcement efforts
on organized crime rather than drug users, and 5) reorienting
drug eradication strategies to focus on alternative
development for growers.

GOC REJECTS LEGALIZATION AMID INTERNAL TENSIONS
-------------- --

4. (U) President Uribe immediately rejected the report's
conclusions, saying decriminalization was contradictory to
the fight against narcotraffickers. He urged legislators to
re-criminalize the use of small amounts of drugs for personal
use, noting that the Constitutional Court in 1994 legalized
the possession of so-called "personal doses" of marijuana,
cocaine, and other drugs. President Uribe told the
Ambassador and visiting HACFO Chair Nita Lowey on February 18
that drug consumption in Colombia had increased (reftel) and
that the legalization of the "personal dose" would worsen
that problem and weaken the moral arguments in Colombia's
efforts to combat narcotics trafficking. Minister of
Interior and Justice Fabio Valencia Cossio added that as part
of the recriminalization, the GOC would offer treatment
options through drug courts for first-time nonviolent

offenders. Prosecutor General (Fiscal) Mario Iguaran
disagreed with Uribe's approach, urging more emphasis on
treatment and prevention and less on law enforcement. Vice
President Santos, responding directly to the Commission's
report, cited improvements in Colombia's security and the
subsequent improvement in its ability to attract investment
as reasons to continue the current approach.


5. (C) Former President and Liberal Party chief Cesar Gaviria
privately told us that he sought to make sure the
Commission's declaration was balanced, insisting that the
report highlight the lack of European support for the
antidrug effort and did not undercut GOC policy by
criticizing the use of the military or aerial eradication.
He said he does not support legalization, which he believes
would send the message that drugs are acceptable (Gaviria was
President when Colombia legalized possession for personal use
and criticized the decision at the time). He said he does
advocate greater flexibility in treatment options. Gaviria
said he believes the current USG approach has helped improve
Colombian security, but it has not reduced the flow of drugs
to the United States.


6. (C) Gaviria said Cardoso and the other Brazilian
participants were the major players in the Commission and
brought a soft, pro-legalization approach to the exercise.
Former Mexican President Zedillo and the Mexican members did
not actively participate, with Zedillo pulling the plug on a
Commission meeting set for Mexico City at the last minute
after consulting with President Calderon. Gaviria said it
was important to encourage continued debate over drug policy,
and added that he planned to participate in a follow-up event
on April 6 at the Brookings Institution in Washington.


BROWNFIELD