EL UNIVERSAL

John Walters, the United States Drug Czar, said that despite Venezuela's refusal to cooperate in anti-drug efforts, Washington wants to work with Caracas in this field, and hailed Colombia's and Mexico's progress in the fight against narcotics, DPA reported.

"Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez has refused to cooperate. There is a cooperation agreement waiting for execution by Chávez. We want to work with them (Venezuela)," Walters told Colombian magazine Semana.
 
Further, he regretted the fact that Venezuela has become a strategic passage for drugs in transit to Central and North America.

"Venezuela is gaining importance for drug dealers. There are flights from legal airports to Dominican Republic and Haiti. Sea shipments are dispatched from several points in Venezuelan coast."

Walters hailed Mexico, Colombia and United Stated joint efforts to fight drugs. "No other country around the world has made as much progress to restore the rule of law as Colombia," he said. The official added that even though press reports in his country show that in January-October 2006 drug prices in the United States fell 12 percent, counternarcotics efforts "are moving forward the right way."

Walters also said they are "pondering some options to avoid losing dissuasive capacity against drug traffickers" in the region, following Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa's decision to close in 2009 the US military base in Manta, "where he have invested a lot."

Translated by Maryflor Suárez R.
msuarez@eluniversal.com