MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentine Supreme Court Justice favors autonomous agency to tackle drug trafficking

“There is an organized crime and a disorganized State” to fight drug trafficking, Lorenzetti explained

Argentine Supreme Court Justice Ricardo Lorenzetti has insisted that the fight against drug trafficking and the bloodshed it causes should be entrusted to an office that transcends political mandates. Lorenzetti, from the city of Rafaela in the province of Santa Fe, which includes the violence-torn city of Rosario, said that the creation of the National Anti-Drug Trafficking Agency would be promoted by the judiciary.

The magistrate explained that such a body should be made up of financial, legislative, and security experts in targetting criminal organizations, particularly those in Rosario. “The position of the [Supreme] Court and the Judiciary” is to drop “the speeches” and move on to “very concrete action based on a State policy.”

“The fight against drug trafficking must be in an agency that is independent of ministerial and electoral changes. This is a great moment [to do so] because there is a will at all levels of government to fight drug trafficking and to summon” different sectors of society, Lorenzetti stressed in a radio interview.

According to Lorenzetti, an independent agency is necessary because currently “there is an organized crime and a disorganized State” to fight drug trafficking. ”The agency would be the way to separate the problem (of drug trafficking) from electoral and political disputes,“ he also noted.

Such an agency should include ”the UIF (Financial Information Unit)“ to focus on the drug trade money circuit, and investigate its origin, operations, and destinations. ”If you dismantle the money circuit you lose the incentives for crime,“ the judge underlined.

”In 2009 the Court urged all public powers to ensure a State policy against illicit drug trafficking. This policy must be independent of elections where presidents, ministers, and policies are changed,” he argued.

Lorenzetti also pointed out that the AFIP (tax bureau - Federal Administration of Public Revenues) as well as Customs should be included to tackle the issue of the ports through which drug shipments come in and out. “It would also be necessary to add intelligence services specialized in drug trafficking for the analysis of data,” he added.

The former Supreme Court Chief Justice also mentioned the provincial Judiciaries to devise “a medium and long term prison policy” against those responsible for these crimes.

“Undoubtedly things have worsened in Rosario,” Lorenzetti also pointed out. “What is really happening is concrete human pain: murders, threats, and generalized fear. Frustration and skepticism are added because it has been years and the measures have not been implemented. The problem is not solved but rather transferred” from one administration to the next. Hence, society's “frustration,” he went on.

“Many times we see theoretical discussions or disputes between different sectors in the face of a problem that is a tragedy. Added to that is frustration and skepticism, because we have been going on for years and the measures that are announced are never implemented. The problems are not solved and they carry over from year to year,” he said.