“Drugs and corruption a concern for both US and Belize,” says US Embassy Rep.

Published by BBN Staff at April 13, 2018

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Posted: Friday, April 13, 2018. 3:35 p.m. CST.

By BBN Staff: United States Embassy’s Acting Deputy Chief of Mission, Deborah Lingwood, told the media this week that the illegal drug trade and the apparent participation by some Belizean authorities in the trade is a problem for both countries.

Lingwood speaking in the context of the recently released 2018 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report published by the US State Department (USDS), said that both countries have their respective roles to play when it comes to combating the illegal drug trade.” “It is true we do have our drug problem in the United States but I think you have to approach the problem from all angles. You need to both reduce demand in the United States but you also need to reduce supply coming from all sources in the world,” Lingwood said.

She also noted that some law enforcement agents are excluded from certain programs that the US Government hosts because they are known violators of human rights.

The issue of corruption with respect to the drug trade came out in the USDS report where the USDS highlights that Belize’s anti-drug trafficking efforts are hindered by “corruption, insufficient investigative capacity, an ineffective judicial sector, and a lack of political will.”

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