The Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) released the following statements concerning President Clinton’s nomination of Army General Barry R. McCaffrey as the nation’s new “Drug Czar.”
“General McCaffrey has an impressive record of service to this country,” says George R. Vickers, Executive Director of WOLA. “But what is needed is a fundamental shift in U.S. anti-narcotic policies, away from failed military strategies that have had little impact on the supply of illicit drugs coming to the United States.
“Regardless of his personal qualities, McCaffrey’s nomination symbolizes the misguided militarization of U.S. drug policy,” adds WOLA Senior Associate Colleta Younger, “and suggests a continued erosion of civilian control over law enforcement efforts in this field.”
As Commander in Chief of the United States Southern Command, General McCaffrey has overseen the U.S. military’s anti-narcotics operations in Latin America. The WOLA has monitored human rights and United States policy in Latin America since 1974 and has produced numerous reports on U.S. anti-narcotics policy in the Andes.
For more information, please contact either Colletta Younger or Bill Spencer of the Washington Office on Latin America at (202)544-8054.