Government/drug trade link unfounded
Guyana Chronicle
January 9, 2007
(GINA) Extensive action by the administration, and cited by the United States 2006 State Department Report on narcotics, indicates that government has been actively engaged in tackling the narco-trade by establishing various anti-drug programmes and initiatives.
Leader of the Main Opposition, Robert Corbin, had indicated that the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Administration exhibited a tendency to condone the actions of alleged drug traffickers.
He also said government had failed to undertake meaningful actions to stem the narco-trade. These remarks were made during a broadcast of Plain Talk, aired on January 7, 2007, in keeping with attempts by the People’s National Congress/Reform (PNC/R), to link the administration to the narco-trade.
The U.S State Department Report explicitly stated, “The Government of Guyana (GOG) does not facilitate the production, processing, or shipment of narcotic and psychotropic drugs or other controlled substances, and does not discourage the investigation or prosecution of such acts.”
Head-of-State, President Bharrat Jagdeo launched the 2005-2009 National Drug Strategy Master Plan (NDSMP) in June 2005, which aims to reduce the supply and demand of narcotics.
The supply reduction agenda calls for improving the justice system’s ability to handle drug cases, making the Joint Intelligence Coordination Center (JICC) operational, closer cooperation among and better technology for law enforcement agencies, and tighter control of border posts and airstrips. The demand reduction agenda includes developing rehabilitation capabilities as well as media and education programs.
The President, at the launching, said, “Our approach is guided by our assessment of the crime statistics in Guyana and in the region, and the changing nature of crime, particularly its violent and trans-national features. We are also guided by our review of what other countries have done and are doing to fight crime. Above all, we are guided by our economic, social and political realities.”
The administration has endeavoured to reform the entire criminal justice system, with the tailoring of the Justice Sector Reform Strategy. The US$25M Inter-American Development Bank programme will ensure, among other factors, that the justice system is capable of handling substantial drug related indictments, as stipulated by the NDSMP. It aims to facilitate the enhancement of areas such as the offices of the Attorney General and the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), the Judiciary, Prisons Service, and facilitate interventions at the community level.
Additionally, since December 2005, the National Commission on Law and Order, tasked with the responsibility of providing government with recommendations regarding crime, violence and the trafficking of illicit drugs, has been meeting monthly at the Ministry of Home Affairs.The Commission comprises members from religious bodies, non-governmental organisations, Ministries, and political parties, including the PPP/C and the PNCR.
Government has also demonstrated its commitment to ensuring that law enforcement agencies are equipped to handle the changing nature of crime and the narco-trade. In this regard, the budgetary allocation to the Guyana Police Force has increased from $335M in 1992 to more than $3.5B in 2006.
The US narcotics report reiterated that, “The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) works closely with Guyana’s Government and law enforcement agencies to develop initiatives that will significantly enhance their countern-narcotics activities.”
The Cochabamba Declaration and the Rio Group, of which Guyana is a member, also endeavour to address the narco-trade in the Region.