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Has the time come to legalize drugs?
The Oppenheimer Report
Andres OppenheimerThe Miami Herald
Thursday, August 12, 2010Legalization of drugs -- long an issue championed mainly by fringe groups -- is rapidly moving to the mainstream in Latin America. Last week's surprise statement by former Mexican President Vicente Fox in support of "legalizing production, sales and distribution" of drugs made big headlines around the world.
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A war on drugs? No, this is a war on the Mexican people
29,000 dead, human rights leaders murdered, the constitution violated – the price of President Calderón's popularity bid
The Guardian (UK)
Thursday 12 August 2010Vicente Fox, the former president of Mexico, began his administration in 2000 with a popular festival. Felipe Calderón, who took over in 2006, began his with a show of military force. His affinity for uniforms, army brass bands and public events with the armed forces makes an overt connection between the military and the executive that was unusual in Mexican politics before his presidency.
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Mexico rethinks drugs strategy as violence escalates
Rising fatalities spur calls for legalisation as president admits military tactics are failing.
The Guardian (UK)
Wednesday 11 August 2010Mexico's president, Felipe Calderón, launched his presidency three and a half years ago with an unprecedented military-led offensive against the country's drug cartels. Since then 28,000 people have been killed in drug-related violence that continues to escalate, with little sign that the power of the traffickers has been reduced.
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Ex-Mexico president calls for legalizing drugs
The Associated Press
Sunday, August 8, 2010Former President Vicente Fox is joining with those urging his successor to legalize drugs in Mexico, saying that could break the economic power of the country's brutal drug cartels. Fox's comments, posted Sunday on his blog, came less than a week after President Felipe Calderon agreed to open the door to discussions about the legalization of drugs, even though he stressed that he remained opposed to the idea.
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Permitir uso inhibe adicciones
En la política y la legislación holandesas se hace una distinción entre cannabis y drogas “duras”, como éxtasis, cocaína y heroína
El Universal
Lunes, 9 de agosto, 2010La legalización del consumo y venta de drogas “blandas” (mariguana y hachís) en Holanda resultó un éxito para el sistema de salud de ese país, al disminuir el nivel de adicción a estas sustancias entre su población.
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The problem is more than just the substances, it's the prohibition itself
When police crack down on drug users and dealers, the result is almost always an increase in violence
Maria Lucia KaramThe Observer
Sunday, August 8, 2010Maria Lucia Karam, a retired Brazilian judge, argues that drugs should be legalised - but regulated. Every country that has provided a glimpse of what a regulated future might look like has experienced lowered rates of death, disease, crime and addiction.
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Marijuana Legalization Gaining Favor in Mexico
Frustration With Drug War Causing Shift; U.S. Stance Still an Obstacle
Lauren VillagranThe Dallas Morning News
Sunday, August 8, 2010"I don't think that marijuana legalization will be a panacea on drug violence in Mexico," said David Shirk, director of the Trans-Border Institute at the University of San Diego. "But legalization could change the nature of the fight. Drugs are so much more profitable than any other form of illicit activity. You take away that profitability, and you cripple the organizations' ability to corrupt the state."
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Why the US and Latin America could be ready to end a fruitless 40-year struggle
The Observer (UK)
Sunday, August 8, 2010Mexico's president Felipe Caldéron is the latest Latin leader to call for a debate on drugs legalisation. And in the US, liberals and right-wing libertarians are pressing for an end to prohibition. Forty years after President Nixon launched the 'war on drugs' there is a growing momentum to abandon the fight.
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Mephedrone found not guilty, but the next legal high may be a killer
Former Lib Dem MP Evan Harris argues that the rush to make mephedrone illegal – despite a lack of evidence it had caused deaths – has put young people in even greater danger
The Guardian (UK)
Thursday, 5 August 2010The mephedrone scare started at the end of 2009 when newspapers and the BBC reported that Gabrielle Price, a 14-year-old girl from Brighton, had died after taking the drug. The story was based on rumour and police statements. The hysteria over mephedrone is a classic example of indulgent moral outrage at the expense of a common-sense harm reduction strategy.
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De “no hay alternativa” a “enséñenme la salida”
Jorge Hernández TinajeroEl Universal (México)
Jueves 5 de agosto de 2010Aun cuando tarde, siempre será bienvenida la disposición presidencial para admitir la necesidad de un debate largamente pospuesto en su administración: la de los verdaderos resultados de su “guerra contra las drogas”, en el marco de su estrategia contra el crimen organizado.
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