US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Friday that US demand was “part of the problem” fueling Central America’s drug wars and pledged more help in fighting ruthless Mexican cartels.
Visiting here two days after the arrests of two top Guatemalan police chiefs on drug trafficking and murder charges, Clinton and Guatemalan President Alvaro Colom vowed to do more fight the corruption undermining law enforcement.
During a press conference with Colom in Guatemala City, the last stop on a six-country tour of Latin America, the chief US diplomat pledged to work with the Guatemalan president and the other regional leaders gathered here to improve security.
Present were presidents Porfirio Lobo of Honduras, Mauricio Funes of El Salvador, Leonel Fernandez of the Dominican Republic and Oscar Arias of Costa Rica as well as Belize Prime Minister Dean Barrow. Panama sent its foreign minister.
She backed the Central American Regional Security Initiative and similar partnerships in Mexico and the Caribbean.
“We will combat organized crime, transnational gangs and trafficking and together keep the people of Guatamala safe,” she said.
Clinton promised “even closer cooperation for the months and years ahead” as Central America fights rising violence, trafficking and drug use in the region, which is caught between drug wars waged by Mexico and Colombia.
She promised more aid, but gave few specifics.
Under the multi-year Merida initiative launched under former US president George W. Bush, the US gives millions of dollars in aid to Mexico, Guatemala and other countries in the region to help them fight drug trafficking.
Echoing points she made during a high-profile visit to Mexico last year, Clinton said the US shares part of the blame for the region’s trafficking problem and related violence because it has failed to quell US demand.
“We know that we are part of the problem and that’s an admission we have been willing to make this past year,” she said, adding that it compelled US President Barack Obama’s administration to do even more to help Guatemala.
Guatemala has lately become a major hub for South American cocaine and other drugs bound for the US.
Mexican cartels now “strongly dominate” the drug trade in Guatemala, chiefly because of the government’s weakness and lax controls, drug trafficking specialist Claudia Samayoa said.
Clinton said the administration is trying to stem demand through different approaches, including doing more to educate people about the dangers of drugs and offering addicts treatment rather than prosecuting them.
Drug traffickers have also infiltrated Guatemala’s armed forces, with recently stolen large caches of military weapons turning up in criminal hands, Samayoa said.
Following the arrests of the police chiefs, Colom said his government was “ready to do everything necessary” to fight corruption.
“I am happy that we are cleaning up and doing things properly with regard to legislation,” he said, expressing hopes for a “common front” with his counterparts in the region.
Clinton stopped short of publicly reiterating calls she made Thursday in Costa Rica for all Latin American countries to recognize the post-coup government in Honduras.
FRAUD ALLEGED: The leader of an opposition alliance made allegations of electoral irregularities and called for a protest in Tirana as European leaders are to meet Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama’s Socialist Party scored a large victory in parliamentary elections, securing him his fourth term, official results showed late on Tuesday. The Socialist Party won 52.1 percent of the vote on Sunday compared with 34.2 percent for an alliance of opposition parties led by his main rival Sali Berisha, according to results released by the Albanian Central Election Commission. Diaspora votes have yet to be counted, but according to initial results, Rama was also leading there. According to projections, the Socialist Party could have more lawmakers than in 2021 elections. At the time, it won 74 seats in the
A Croatian town has come up with a novel solution to solve the issue of working parents when there are no public childcare spaces available: pay grandparents to do it. Samobor, near the capital, Zagreb, has become the first in the country to run a “Grandmother-Grandfather Service,” which pays 360 euros (US$400) a month per child. The scheme allows grandparents to top up their pension, but the authorities also hope it will boost family ties and tackle social isolation as the population ages. “The benefits are multiple,” Samobor Mayor Petra Skrobot told reporters. “Pensions are rather low and for parents it is sometimes
CONTROVERSY: During the performance of Israel’s entrant Yuval Raphael’s song ‘New Day Will Rise,’ loud whistles were heard and two people tried to get on stage Austria’s JJ yesterday won the Eurovision Song Contest, with his operatic song Wasted Love triumphing at the world’s biggest live music television event. After votes from national juries around Europe and viewers from across the continent and beyond, JJ gave Austria its first victory since bearded drag performer Conchita Wurst’s 2014 triumph. After the nail-biting drama as the votes were revealed running into yesterday morning, Austria finished with 436 points, ahead of Israel — whose participation drew protests — on 357 and Estonia on 356. “Thank you to you, Europe, for making my dreams come true,” 24-year-old countertenor JJ, whose
CANCER: Jose Mujica earned the moniker ‘world’s poorest president’ for giving away much of his salary and living a simple life on his farm, with his wife and dog Tributes poured in on Tuesday from across Latin America following the death of former Uruguayan president Jose “Pepe” Mujica, an ex-guerrilla fighter revered by the left for his humility and progressive politics. He was 89. Mujica, who spent a dozen years behind bars for revolutionary activity, lost his battle against cancer after announcing in January that the disease had spread and he would stop treatment. “With deep sorrow, we announce the passing of our comrade Pepe Mujica. President, activist, guide and leader. We will miss you greatly, old friend,” Uruguayan President Yamandu Orsi wrote on X. “Pepe, eternal,” a cyclist shouted out minutes later,
RSS