“Integration in defense, so we can help each other in the fight against terrorism, in the fight against drug trafficking”. President Álvaro Uribe Vélez declared at the end of a meeting he held with his Brazilian counterpart, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Sao Paulo, Brasil, Oct 19 (SP). President Álvaro Uribe Vélez reiterated this Monday the importance of fighting terrorism and drug trafficking with Brazil.

At the end of a meeting he held with the President of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, in the building of the Industry Federation of Sao Paulo (Fiesp), the Head of State declared that Colombia whishes to reinforce mutual integration in defense.

“Integration in defense, so we can help each other in the fight against terrorism, in the fight against drug trafficking”, he said.

The Leader said, “Terrorism phenomenon is related with illicit drugs”. Considering that, President Uribe asked President Lula to strengthen cooperation in the fight against drug trafficking.

“We want to have a team work with Brazil’s advices, with your advice President Lula, to look for more efficient mechanisms to overcome that phenomenon”, he emphasized.

Personal Dose Prohition

The Head of State insisted in the need of forbidding the personal dose of drugs, at the time he said, “It is very difficult, for a country as Colombia, to completely defeat drugs, when the world, and still Colombia, are permissive with consumption.

“I think it is important to think about the possibility of imprison those criminals that use personal dose as a shield to distribute drugs with impunity, and they lead children, teenagers and young people to that criminal business”, Uribe said.

He added, “There is no social policy that could work to recover young people, when the criminal business of drugs is blocking their minds. That is why we propose this reflection”.

Illicit crop substitution

On the other hand, President Uribe stated that Colombia and Brazil must continue working in the substitution of illegal crops and stressed that bio-fuels production has become an effective strategy in the fight against drugs.

“Our two nations have taken on the task of work together to defend bio-fuels as one of the best options of clean energy in all international forums. And we have done it with two guarantees for humanity: the guarantee that bio-fuels have no reason to harm the jungle, or compete nor restrict food safety. On the contrary, in Colombia it is an alternative for rural communities, which are attracted by drug trafficking, and that way they do destroy the jungle”, he explained.