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Latin America: Mexico's PRD May Call for Legalization

Submitted by Phillip Smith on (Issue #548)
Drug War Issues
Politics & Advocacy

According to Mexican press reports this week, Mexico's Partido de la Revolución Democrática (PRD -- Democratic Revolution Party) is preparing to consider legalization of the drug trade as a response to the wave of narco-violence that has swept the country in the last year and a half. Around 5,000 people have been killed in prohibition-related violence since President Felipe Calderón escalated Mexico's long-running drug war by enlisting the military in the fight in December 2006.

PRD presidential candidate Andrés Manuel López Obrador came within a handful of votes of winning the presidency in 2006, and the party remains the second strongest political force in the country, behind the ruling Partido Acción Nacional (PAN -- National Action Party). But because of party infighting since that election, the PRD may drop into third place after this year's midterm elections, behind both the PAN and the Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI -- Revolutionary Institutional Party).

According to the Mexico City newspaper El Universal, the PRD's national council is calling on the party's legislators to begin discussing legalization as part of a "grand national accord" to deal with violence and insecurity in the country. The proposal came from the PRD's New Left faction, led by Jesús Zambrano, and was approved unanimously by the national council.

In an interview with Mexico's Televisa TV network, the PRD coordinator in the lower house, Javier González Garza, upped the ante, saying legalization should be considered not only in Mexico, but also in the US. "We can't continue thinking that we are going to combat the problem of drug trafficking without more radical measures, and one of them has to be the legalization of drugs in the United States," he said. "After the United States will we continue with Mexico? Of course, or both at the same time... This war, the way it is outlined, is going to be lost, we're all going to lose, it makes no sense and there need to be some changes."

Some 25,000 Mexican army troops are fighting drug traffickers along the border and in a number of major cities and drug-growing areas. Many observers blame the spike in violence -- more people have been killed already this year than in all of last year -- on the aggressive stance of the Calderón government. But the US government is pleased; it recently passed a $1.4 billion, three-year anti-drug assistance package for Mexico, most of which will go to beefing up military and police capabilities.

Permission to Reprint: This content is licensed under a modified Creative Commons Attribution license. Content of a purely educational nature in Drug War Chronicle appear courtesy of DRCNet Foundation, unless otherwise noted.

Comments

Anonymous (not verified)

Are we hearing some common sense? OMG, there may be some left. Of course folks like our esteemed President, "bush", will never listen. He has proven time and again that facts and proof are of no "matter" to he and his henchmen.
As my dear departed mother said upon hearing "tricky dick", that dumb SOB, "prohibition didn't work the first time, and it won't work now". She was so right.

Fri, 08/22/2008 - 11:51am Permalink
Anonymous (not verified)

Mexico, You do not have to listen to Bush or his lies, the only difference between him and I is he was not caught. If you had of been caught your life would have been totally screwed up like you did mine Bush. I will be one happy man to see you IMPEACHED with Cheney.
Take out the killings and legalize it, you will NEVER win this war, it's a proven fact as you just make it look like it works, Americans are not stupid , Legalize herb and tax it to help get back some of the money you wasted Bush. You are a waste Mr Bush,someone that does it but never got caught, you are no different than I am.
Far to many people are in prisons for simple possession and thats wrong, but its a money maker aint it Mr Bush??

Fri, 08/22/2008 - 3:12pm Permalink
UrpGag (not verified)

I wrote Sen Chas Grassley, great name, pukey politics, and he sent me back a form letter. I sent him another letter, this one with verbatum quotes and patent numbers proving the USA has patents protecting the federal governments rights to possess medical marijuana and the proceeds from it and got back... nothing.

The prohibition against marijuana is the worst scandle since slavery in the south and lying in the north.

Now Obama puts up Biden?

I asked Carl Olsen, a major figure for our side with his wonderful applications for injunctive relief if it made any difo which one of these two idiots wins and he said,"No, the way I work,they have nothing to do with it." So, friends, all is not lost.

I would like to ask McShame, "If you want us to get all worked up about Obamamama raising taxes, just what the hell do you think your dumbass idea of staying at war will do alot more of than his spending for health care???!"

I am still for Dr Ron Paul if just to tell these corporately owned two party bullshitters that we are not down with the new boss.

I am [email protected] and if you support bushie you can kiss my ass.

Thu, 08/28/2008 - 12:53pm Permalink

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