Earlier this month a United States’ Department of State report praised Dominican Republic’s war on drug trafficking, but reiterated that the country is still an important center of drug trafficking, mainly cocaine from South America going to the U.S. and Europe. Apparently, no criticism addressed these consumer countries.
The report estimates that the amount of drugs marketed in 2009 in the country is similar to previous years, even when the authorities increased the volume of confiscations. Washington said confiscations of ecstasy, which is the main drug currently seized, fell in 2009, whereas those of cocaine doubled. Furthermore, for the first time, the Dominican Government detected a new drug trafficking route, from Asia and to Central America, for the transport of pseudoephedrine, of which 1.3 million units were seized.
The yearly report valued the country’s “evident” improvements in the enforcement of the law against drug traffic, but warned of “endemic” corruption of its government and of interest groups in its private sector. It also underscored historic tensions with neighboring Haiti.
In the context of women’s rights in the Dominican Republic, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced that Sonia Pierre is among those to receive the honor of the International Women of Courage Awards, for her work with the Dominican-Haitian Woman’s Movement (MUDHA), an organization which works to help Haitians and their children who live in the Dominican Republic.
For full article, see http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/local/2010/3/2/34968/Washington-heaps-kudos-scolding-on-Dominican-Republic
Photo of Dominican officers burning marijuana from http://www.bet.com/News/Photos/NewsPhotosWorldLensWeekof0803.htm?i=9
