In one week we should learn if Argentina will decriminalize small amounts of drugs based on an expected court ruling from the Argentina court system. The Chief Justice has been hugely in favor of such action. This will allow Argentine authorities to focus on cartels and dealers. The stakes are high in this Roman Catholic country. The country is polarized over this issue.
The City government is criticizing an initiative of the Kirchner administration to decriminalize the possession of drugs in Argentina, which could take place next week following a highly-anticipated ruling of the Supreme Court.
City Cabinet Chief Horacio Rodríguez Larreta said the decriminalization of small amounts of drugs is “a shame” and a “lack of responsibility.”
Not admitting that your country has a problem is a shame. Not being able to tackle the issue of drug addiction as a medical symptom is a lack of responsibility. Why is it that right extremist always interjects fear in these kinds of issues?
The comments made by the City Cabinet Chief come as a reaction to remarks made by National Cabinet Chief Aníbal Fernández, who has backed policies to decriminalize users. According to Fernández, who formerly was Justice minister, the government should focus on drug traffickers instead of chasing users, who are normally punished for their addictions.
Yes, focus your resources on the distribution system not on the users.
Aníbal Fernández participated in talks of an experts committee that supported the liberalization of drug use in a controversial statement released last year.
Reacting to those remarks, Rodríguez Larreta said, “whoever is in favour of decriminalizing drugs in this country is watching the wrong tv station, its a shame and a lack of responsibility.”
What does watching TV has to do with this? Is there another TV station that people should watch so that they can be responsible? The fact is that it is irresponsible for a person not to consider decriminalizing as a means to solve a bigger problem. Don’t allow your resources to be tied up on users. The war on the users have been happening for decades and we still have a problem. A much bigger problem I might add.
He added that “even kids who are trying to recover from their addictions are begging the government to do something against drugs.”
What a statement of sensationalized hogwash this is. People with addictions have their own battles that they are facing each and every day. Whether decriminalization is passed of not has no bearing on a person’s own battle with their own addiction.
The City Cabinet Chief went on to say that “drugs are a social cancer, and the government and the judiciary have the duty to fight it.”
