Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 23 July 2019

Brazil removing independents from drugs policy council

By DIANE JEANTET upon the recommenda-
Associated Press tion of a relative or a public
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Bra- health official. Until then, a
zil’s President Jair Bolson- user in Brazil had to agree
aro on Monday stripped a to hospitalization.
council that sets guidelines The bill also raised to eight
for drug policies of almost years from five the mini-
all non-government mem- mum penalty for traffickers
bers, reviving claims that who lead criminal organi-
he is trying to stifle dissent- zations.
ing voices. Bolsonaro ran a tough-on-
He also announced he’d crime campaign, vowing
like to eliminate most such to curb violence at all cost.
councils altogether. He is a fervent opponent of
“We want to wipe out the drug policy liberalization.
councils, extinguish the vast Bolsonaro earlier down-
majority of them so that sized several other councils
the government can func- to trim the influence of in-
tion,” Bolsonaro told re- dependent members.
porters Monday, criticizing In May, the president
the presence of members slashed the size of a body
appointed under previous that oversees environmen-
governments who might tal policy from 100 to 21,
not share the views of his Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro smiles while wearing a Soya Growers’ Association hat at the end getting rid of many envi-
administration. of a swearing-in ceremony for the newly-named president of Brazil’s Development Bank, at the ronmental activists and in-
“We cannot be held hos- Planalto presidential palace, in Brasilia, Brazil, Tuesday, July 16, 2019. dependent experts.
tage by councils,” Bolson- Associated Press Last week, it’s a govern-
aro said. other independent groups inter-ministerial group en- presented by experts and ment-run council on cin-
The decree nearly halves will no longer be part of the tirely made of government civil society. ema that was downsized
the size of the council that council debate, leaving it entities,” said Paulo Aguiar, Detractors of the far-right and transferred from the
advises the government mostly with those appoint- a psychologist who had administration say officials Citizenship and Culture
and Congress on all drug ed by the government. taken part in the council’s are leaving aside drug Ministry to his chief of staff’s
abuse issues. The body, The new decree also in- deliberations. prevention and treatment, office.
which operates under the cludes a clause forbidding Aguiar acknowledged he seen by many experts as Shortly after signing the de-
Justice and Public Security members to speak openly was “very worried” by the crucial in the fight against cree, Bolsonaro, a devout
Ministry, approves or up- about the council’s discus- government’s decision, drug abuse, focusing too Christian with a strong so-
dates the national plan on sions and projects without saying that the shaping of much on law enforcement. cially conservative agen-
drugs policy. prior approval from gov- drugs policies in Brazil will in- In May, senators passed a da, criticized the use of
Experts chosen by associa- ernment officials. evitably suffer from the loss bill backed by Bolsonaro public funds to finance
tions of jurists, physicians, “With today’s decree, there of diversity in opinions, stud- that allowed forced re- films that could “disrespect
nurses, social workers and is no more council, but an ies and research previously habilitation for drug users families”.q

Mexico, US to launch plan against arms smuggling at border

Associated Press $12.6 billion as part of the Ebrard said Mexico had
MEXICO CITY (AP) — The life sentence announced presented evidence it had
Mexican government said Wednesday. reduced the flow of Central
Monday it has reached Ebrard said “the aim is that American migrants through
agreement with the United the assets of this criminal Mexican territory by about
States for a joint operation organization be recovered 36 percent between Janu-
to combat gun smuggling for the Mexican govern- ary and early July.
along the U.S. border after ment.” The United States had
seeing a spike in the num- He said Pompeo “was very threatened to impose tariffs
ber of illegal firearms de- favorable to it, so that in the within 90 days on Mexican
tected. next few days we should products unless the country
Seizures of assault rifles in be able to make very rapid did more to halt the flow of
Mexico are up 122% so far Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard holds the microphone progress on this strategic migrants. Sunday’s meet-
this year. to his mouth as he gives a press conference about new U.S. objective.” ing was the halfway mark
Foreign Relations Secretary restrictions on asylum seekers in Mexico City, Monday, July 15, Few experts believe either evaluation of the progress
Marcelo Ebrard said Mexi- 2019. country will ever be able to Mexico has made over 45
co’s military would coordi- Associated Press find anything approaching days.
nate with U.S. authorities to cities on the U.S. side. Many had proposed the two $12.6 billion in assets. The Ebrard said he was confi-
launch anti-gun-smuggling of the firearms seized by po- countries undertake a joint amount was calculated dent Mexico could avoid
operations in five Mexican lice in Mexico have come effort to identify and seize on the price of the amount the imposition of tariffs,
border cities — Tijuana, Ciu- from the United States. the assets of convicted of drugs Guzman’s Sinaloa while resisting U.S. pressure
dad Juarez, Nuevo Laredo, The announcement comes drug lord Joaquin “El Cha- cartel smuggled into the to sign a “safe third coun-
Reynosa and Matamoros. after Sunday’s meeting be- po” Guzmán. Many Mexi- United States over the try” agreement with Wash-
He implied that U.S. authori- tween Ebrard and U.S. Sec- cans fear their country will course of years. Ebrard said ington that would require
ties would coordinate by retary of State Mike Pom- lose money that belongs some of the money is prob- migrants to apply for asy-
cracking down on smug- peo. to Mexico after a U.S. court ably in the U.S. and some in lum in Mexico rather than
gling in the corresponding Ebrard also said Mexico ordered Guzmán to pay Mexico. in the U.S.q