Enrique Peña Nieto Suggests 'Humanitarian' Approach In Fight Against Drug Trafficking

Ever since former Mexican President Felipe Calderón officially declared a war against drug trafficking and organized crime back in 2006, the country has reported thousands of innocent deaths and a battle that doesn’t seem to end.

On Tuesday, Mexico’s Head of State Enrique Peña Nieto addressed the issue during a meeting at the United Nations building in New York City, and proposed a “humanitarian” approach to fight “narcotraffick,” stating that the scheme in effect, which is based on prohibition, established in the 1970s has failed to eradicate the problem.

“We need to move from mere prohibition and jump onto an effective prevention, and efficient regulation,” Peña Nieto said.

He continued, “The drug problem on an international level is a phenomenon that does not recognize borders or boundaries, and it hurts societies within various latitudes. Until today, the answers that communities around the world have implemented have been, if I’m being honest, insufficient.”

During his proposal, EPN pointed out that Mexico has suffered a lot under this regimen and many innocent lives have been lost along the way.

“Not many know the limitations and the painful implications that this imminent paradigm based on prohibition can bring, not as we do,” he said before the UN assembly.

The President of Mexico’s plea suggests that the alarming drug problem many countries are currently facing should be treated from a Human Rights point of view.

“Only that way, will we be able to offer integral, balanced, and developing responses,” he assured. “This change, which needs to be from the core, implies modifying our current focus on getting the bad guys, in order to be able to put people, their rights, and their dignity as the center of our efforts.”

Finally, Peña Nieto mentioned that all Nations should be working together in the infamous battle against drugs.

“No country can do this on its own,” he stated. “Global consensuses are required to attend the matter efficiently. We have to intensify the cooperation between our government, and implement the exchange of information and jointed actions, in order to take organized crime organizations down.”