Mexico City,.- Ambassador William R. Brownfield, Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL, its acronym in English), and Michael Botticelli, Director of the National Office of Policy Control Drug visited Mexico City on 1 and 2 March with the aim of dialogue with the government of Mexico on issues of mutual interest, including measures to restrict the illegal flow of narcotics from Mexico and the United States. During his visit, officials explored ways to continue and expand cooperation between the two countries in this important matter.
The United States and Mexico work together to strengthen the capacity of public security institutions, justice and public health in both countries and reduce the negative effects on society resulting from the use of drugs, especially heroin and methamphetamines. As drug policy, the United States has significantly increased funding for prevention and treatment of abuse of illegal drugs in order to reduce domestic demand. In Mexico through the Merida Initiative, the EU provide support to counternarcotics efforts of the government of Mexico as assistance for the training of Mexican officials in the justice sector, support the establishment of courts addiction treatment as well as in training and training of counselors in addiction treatment.
The Brownfield and gentlemen Botticelli met with their counterparts in various government institutions of Mexico, including Attorney General Arely Gómez González; the National Commissioner of the National Commission Against Addictions (CONADIC), Dr. Manuel Mondragon y Kalb; Mr. Carlos Perez Verdia, Undersecretary for North American Affairs, and Mr. Miguel Ruiz Cabanas, Undersecretary for Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE), and Mr. David Garay Maldonado Secretariat Interior (SEGOB), among others.
Concluding his visit, Ambassador Brownfield reiterated the commitment of the US to support counternarcotics on both sides of the border. «The US government will continue to share information with our Mexican counterparts to support our joint efforts to address the shared use and illegal trade of narcotics challenge.»
«The US is facing an epidemic in the use of opiates. President Obama has directed resources and efforts to prevent drug use before it starts, and expand access to addiction treatment –in terms demanda– and strengthen efforts to detect and disrupt the flow of drugs –in supply terms. In order to achieve these goals, we turn to work hard with our Mexican counterparts to counter the challenges of health and public safety that both countries face , «said Mr. Botticelli.
The Secretary for Affairs North America Mexico, Mr. Carlos Perez Verdia, he added, «The governments of the US and Mexico are important partners in a joint effort to combat the issue of illicit narcotics, both supply and the demand.»
The Merida Initiative
The Merida Initiative is a bilateral agreement for cooperation on security between Mexico and the United States with over 2.3 billion dollars of funds allocated by the United States Congress. At eight years of implementation, the Merida Initiative has provided tangible support for Mexican security institutions and justice system , it has prompted efforts to stop drug trafficking, and strengthened border security. To date, the Merida Initiative has delivered more than 1,400 million dollars in equipment, training and technical support to the government of Mexico to strengthen security.
NATIONAL POLICY ANTI-NARCOTICS OF THE EU
The national anti – drug policy of President Obama is based on a balanced approach between health and public safety in order to reduce the use of illegal drugs and the consequences arising therefrom. This approach is reflected in the President ‘s budget for 2017 represents the largest investment in the country for the treatment and prevention of substance use and a parallel budget for the health system and public safety.
