21 February 2001

Text: Rep. Gilman Urges European Cooperation in Drug Control Efforts

U.S. Congressman Benjamin Gilman (Republican of New York) says Europe has a "major new role to play" in helping eliminate cocaine production in South America's Andean Ridge, by exercising greater control over the precursor chemicals used to convert raw coca into cocaine.

Germany, Holland and other European nations are a prime source of precursor chemicals which are often diverted from legitimate purposes to illicit drug production in the Americas, Gilman said in an address to the Fourth Annual Inter-Parliamentary Drug Conference held February 21-23 in Santa Cruz, Bolivia.

"In all of the world's illicit drug production -- whether natural or synthetic drugs -- European precursors, illegally diverted, play a key role," he told more than 60 parliamentarians from the United States, Europe, South America, Japan and Russia who gathered in Bolivia to discuss drug control, prevention efforts, interdiction and alternative development.

Gilman argued that Europe itself suffers as a result of the diversion of precursor chemicals, noting that as much as 30 percent of the cocaine produced in the Andes using European chemicals now goes to Europe. "Once the United States was the sole destination of this region's deadly cocaine -- no more," the congressman said.

The chemicals also contribute to the massive environmental damage caused by drug production in the Andean nations, Gilman said, citing "the destruction of the rain forests by slash-and-burn drug crop planting, and the poisoning of the rivers with run-off precursor chemicals."

A recent Colombian Army report, he added, indicated that drug production contaminated that country's soil "with 200,000 tons of chemicals a year, causing deforestation at a pace that was rapidly destroying the country's rainforests."

Following is the text of Gilman's remarks, as released by the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy in Bolivia:

February 21, 2001

PRESS RELEASE
Public Affairs Section
Embassy of the United States of America

Statement of Chairman Ben Gilman
Fourth Annual Inter-Parliamentary Drug Conference
Santa Cruz, Bolivia

In our common fight against the scourge of illicit drugs, whose purveyors know no borders, nor respect any boundaries, no nation can go it alone. We all need each other's help, and this conference proves that fact.

These inter-parliamentary sessions have served to create greater global understanding on the dimension of the drug problem, and how various portions of the fight are the responsibilities of the international community together in the battle against this scourge. When we all collectively take action on this challenge, we can and will win. Producer nations, transit nations, user nations, and those which produce precursor chemicals, all must do their part.

Bolivia's success here in virtually eliminating its coca production, along with amazing progress as well in Peru, shows the skeptics and naysayers that with strong political will, and international community support, the battle against illicit drugs can, in fact, be won. Success comes when governments like Bolivia exercise the political will, show courage, and in turn gain the support of their people and the international community in our common fight.

Here in the Andean nations, we have long witnessed the destruction and havoc both to governments and to the environment from the illicit drug trade and the drug manufacturing process. The destruction of the rain forests by the slash-and-burn drug crop planting, and the poisoning of the rivers with run-off precursor chemicals, are byproducts of illegal drug production in the Andean ridge.

A recent Colombian Army report indicated that drug production contaminated the soil of that beleaguered nation with 200,000 tons of chemicals a year causing deforestation at a pace that was rapidly destroying the country's rainforests.

We in the major user-nations, whether in the Americas, Europe, Asia or Africa, have also seen the havoc these illicit drugs create in our communities and among our young people. There are few nations who can afford to sit on the sidelines and watch this destruction of the land and our people.

Europe, in particular, has a major new role to play here in the Andean ridge, where all of the world's cocaine originates. Europe -- especially nations like Germany, Holland and others -- are providing a great deal of the precursor chemicals which are often times "diverted" in transit to illicit drug production here in the Americas. In all of the world's illicit drug production -- whether natural or synthetic drugs -- European precursors, illegally diverted, play a key role in this drug production.

Meanwhile, recent trends show as much as 30 percent of the cocaine oftentimes produced by some of these European precursor chemicals here in the Andes now goes to Europe. Once the United States was the sole destination of this region's deadly cocaine, no more.

In Europe last year alone, 43 tons of deadly cocaine were seized coming from Colombia and Peru combined, transiting Venezuela, Bolivia or Brazil. I repeat, 43 tons of cocaine seized in Europe came from this region. Just a few short years ago, those of us who followed the drug trade talked merely in terms of kilos being seized; now it's multi-tons. I was recently in Ireland, where there was a major seizure of cocaine located under the seats of a Continental Airline flight from Newark to Shannon, Ireland. We are all clearly linked together in this common fight.

When we work together to prevent production at the source and interdiction of these drugs before they reach our shores, we can reduce demand by raising price and lowering purity.

I am hopeful that our European friends will recognize the environmental destruction this illicit drug production causes in this part of the world, and will also come to realize that places like Colombia produce none of the precursor chemicals used to create these illicit drugs. Many of these chemicals come from Europe. We in the USA, as well as they, can do a better job in controlling these key chemical ingredients.

In addition, with just a little more adequate advance shipping notice from Europe on huge shipments of precursor chemicals to producer nations like Colombia to allow the anti-drug police to check out the bona fides of the purported end users, we all might be able to make better progress on this front.

We could also use more European help for the UNDCP and alternative development for this region, as the poor coca farmers face loss of their lucrative and once in-demand, illicit crops. The UNDCP's entire budget is less than $100 million to fight a worldwide plague conducting business exceeding $400 billion dollars. We need more help from our European friends with our good UNDCP.

We in the United States are willing to do our share in this region. The U.S. has contributed more than $100 million here in Bolivia alone to help fight drug production and to support alternative development, which go hand in hand. In Colombia, we have provided more than a billion dollars in both police and military aid, as well as social and judicial aid. We support Peru as well in this common fight.

The drugs from these nations now transit to the whole world, and around the globe. We must all do our share together. I welcome this conference to help advance these goals. The days of finger pointing are over, and together we must join in this common struggle and not give in to the naysayers.

Thank you.

Chairman Gilman is Chairman Emeritus of the House International Relations Committee and is the new Vice Chairman of the House Government Reform Subcommittee on Drug Policy.

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