Colombian President mentioned mafias specialized in the transport of gold and illegal ores from the forest, cocaine and marijuana
Philippe Watanabe-began the speech during the OTCA (Amazonian Cooperation Treaty Organization), on Friday (22), mentioning the attacks that occurred the day before in Cali, associating them with drug trafficking.
“In Colombia, the largest enemy in the Amazon today, after global warming, is called drug trafficking,” said Petro. “Yesterday we had a difficult day in Colombia, basically derived from the armed action of drug trafficking, theme, in my opinion, of discussion at this meeting [cúpula da OTCA].”
The Colombian president classified drug trafficking as a worldwide, not only regional problem, and associated the problem with the possibility of climate collapse.
The Colombian president mentioned mafias specialized in the transport of gold and illegal ores from the forest, cocaine and marijuana – which, he said, should have already been legalized in Latin America.
Petro addressed the Amazonian question and, consequently, climate from the military point of view. “This theme is not only of individual conscience, community conscience, national conscience. This is a military theme. Here has not been talked about this and I understand why.”
The Colombian said that the Amazon rainforest of his country is affected by drug trafficking. And he said he knew that in powerful neighboring countries they have empowed themselves from the Amazon territory. “These are, increasingly, army units armed by world drug trafficking.”
He also stated that these armed forces control local populations and lead them to destroy the forest.
“The drug trafficking is using an excuse for a military invasion,” said Petro. “It seems to me that it is absolutely essential that the Ministries of Defense, or as they call them in the various countries of South America, Latin America and the Caribbean, the armies, the police intelligences, can coordinate the fight against the enemies of the Amazon rainforest, one of which is drug trafficking and the mafia.”
Petro then asked President Lula (PT) to help build a security conference from South America, Latin America and the Caribbean.
Finally, the Colombian president said that drug trafficking could destroy states and reinforced the potential destructive of organized crime forests. “Forestry security is the security of humanity.”
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (PT), in turn, at the beginning of his speech also addressed the issue of drug trafficking and security in the Amazon.
Lula said he will launch the Amazon International Police Cooperation Center on September 9 in Manaus, Amazonas, and invited those present to the event. According to the Brazilian president, the entity aims to combat drug trafficking, illegal mining and arms trafficking in the region.
