The original content of Democracy Now! Headlines appears under the Creative
Commons BY-NC-ND 3.0 License (United States). For more, including their other
shows and media, visit www.democracynow.org.
March 7, 2012

Central American Leaders to Debate Drug Legalization 
-----------------------------------------------------



U.S. Vice President Joe Biden is in Honduras for talks with Central
American leaders on regional security efforts and drug trafficking.
Biden said the Obama administration will ask Congress for an additional
$107 million for the Central American Regional Security Initiative next
year. Biden's visit comes amid what appears to be an emerging rift
between the Obama administration and its Central American allies on
decriminalizing drugs. Last month, Guatemalan President Otto Perez
Molina said he would support decriminalization, and on Tuesday, Central
American leaders agreed to debate the idea at a gathering later this
month. During his stop in Honduras, Biden pledged the Obama
administration's support for the Honduran government.

Joe Biden: "The United States and Honduras have had a long and close
partnership and we reaffirmed that today. The President and I discussed
a wide range of topics, especially security and economic development. We
understand the grave threats of narco-trafficking and the gang violence,
and the threat it poses to the people of Honduras, but quite frankly the
entire region, as well as to my country, and the United States is
absolutely committed to continue to work with Honduras to win this
battle against the narco-traffickers."



.