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August 17, 2010

Mexican President Open to Debate on Drug Legalization
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Mexican President Felipe Calderón has publicly said he is willing to
listen to arguments in favor of the legalization of drugs in an effort
to end the drug war that has killed 28,000 people since 2006.

Felipe Calderón: "I also take note of the debate that has come up here
regarding the regulation of drugs. It is an essential debate. Firstly, I
think it should be considered in a pluralistic democracy—and it is
great that we have that in this country—and that the pros and cons
should always be deeply analyzed. The arguments of one person and
another are fundamental."

Calderón’s comments come a week after former president Vicente Fox
called for the legalization of drugs in both Mexico and the United
States. Another supporter of drug legalization in Mexico has been
Alejandro Madrazo, professor at the National Autonomous University of
Mexico.

Alejandro Madrazo: "If you take drugs out of the criminal realm, and
therefore make trafficking legal, then the person moving the drugs does
not need to physically control territory by violent means to be able to
ship the drugs. Of course violence would drop. Of course not all
violence would be eliminated, but it would drop. It is elementary
logic."



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