Bayardo Ramírez, expert in criminal law: "Venezuela is the first drug trafficker in Latin America" "The State should train police agents specialized in capturing drug traffickers" "ONA (National Anti-Drug Bureau) has become a repressive agency managed by military men"
By NATALIA MATAMOROS | EL UNIVERSAL October 05, 2013
The shipment of 1.3 tons of cocaine bound to France onboard a flight departing from Venezuela is just a pearl that decorates the necklace of a myriad of similar cases.
Bayardo Ramírez, a criminal lawyer and former president of the National Anti-Drug Commission (Conacuid), stressed that based on data of groups engaged in counter-narcotics efforts worldwide, Venezuela ranks as the first drug trafficker in Latin America, overtaking Mexico and Colombia.
According to Ramírez, some sectors inside the Venezuelan government have distinct strategies on drug trafficking, with no attempt at setting policies to curb the scourge.
"There are groups in the current regime that traffic in drugs coming from Bolivia, Ecuador and Colombia -the latter in cooperation with the FARC. The country (Venezuela) became a warehouse, lab, and collection and distribution center of substances."
The expert claimed that in Venezuela, together with other countries in the Latin American region, "some groups have set routes to ship cocaine and marihuana through Central America up to Canada and the United States. There is another route to Africa and there it (the drug) is distributed to Europe."
- Where, in the country, operate the alleged airstrips for drug transfer?
- Here, there are approximately 116 underground airports located in Apure state, near the Colombian border. They have light aircraft s dedicated to taking drugs. There are strategically outlined roads to carry the cargo in vehicles and subsequently embark it on the aircraft. There is well-planned logistics. Aircraft are removed their seats to put the merchandise. For their part, laboratories are seated in Andes and La Guaira.
- The Unified Democratic Panel (the opposition coalition) plans to request the National Assembly to investigate the Air France case...
- There is structured impunity where justice works under the principles of false negative and false positive. With regard to drug traffic, no senior government official will be detained because the very government protects and fosters trade of substances. In this regard, I have the assumption that suitcases were taken on an alternative ramp, without airliner Air France noticing it.
- So, under such circumstances, how can drug traffic diminish?
- The only way to apply the brake on drug traffic is by changing the regime by electoral means, with a stiff plan, as well as governmental organizations that carry on programs for rehabilitation, treatment, and social reinsertion of drug abusers, just like former Conacuid. It (Conacuid) was replaced by ONA, which turned out to being a repressive agency led by military men, whose functions are far away from the purposes for which it was originally established.
- Which changes should be made to the legal framework in relation to drugs?
- Current laws lack a category for the offence, that is, crimes such as drug traffic and terrorism are defined, but they are not categorized in juridical terms in the articles of the governing laws.
Translated by Conchita Delgado
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