Calderon says US arms drive drug violence

Press TV
August 20, 2010

Addressing an anti-narcotics forum on Thursday, Mexican President Felipe Calderon said that the smuggled US arms, which fall into the hands of drug cartels, are used to foster drug violence and have so far claimed thousands of lives.

Calderon described US arms dealers as “greedy and ambitious,” and said their “business is to sell arms to criminals,” AFP reported.

• A d v e r t i s e m e n t

He also lashed out at Washington for failing to control drug addiction in the United States.

“I don’t honestly believe that the United States has made a significant effort to reduce drug addiction, frankly, even though it was announced and despite the goodwill that we have with President Barack Obama,” he said.

Since 2006, Calderon has mobilized nearly 50,000 troops to wage an all-out war against drug violence, which has yielded little success.

Statistics show more than 28,000 people have been killed in drug violence in Mexico over the past four years.

American authorities admit that the US is the biggest consumer of illicit drugs and thereby encourages drug violence.

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“We know that the demand for drugs drives much of this illicit trade and that guns purchases in the US are used to facilitate violence here in Mexico,” said US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton during her visit to Mexico in March.

This article was posted: Friday, August 20, 2010 at 1:56 pm

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