There is a grave concern here in the DR about the rise in random, violent crime.

Back in the days of Aristide, the Cartels were running all the cocaine that came through the Carribbean, estimated at about 15% of the US and European market, through Haiti. When MINUSTAH came into Haiti, by mid term of Preval in 2008, prehaps, the nests of dealers had been cleared up. Now the product moves through the DR.

While the DR bought planes to intercept flights, much of the product is still dropped at sea and picked up by fishermen off the south coast. It is a fairly simple matter to find out who is in charge of the ring, as I was able to uncover it a couple of weekends.

However, the Dominicans have been in charge of the distribution of cocaine in NYC .. from NYC to Canada since the early 80s, since LALO from Santiago first discovered how to cut it into CRACK. Since that time, the Dominicans have distributed the cocaine but more importantly, they have laundered the money from this trade.

Twenty years ago, it was estimated that the profits from the sale of cocaine from the Columbia cartels was equal to annual US defense budget.

Since the demand for this product is inside the US and Europe, there is no way to stop this commerce.

It should be remembered that this is a TRADE WAR,

There are three extremely potent NATURAL medicines... coca, marijuana (hahish), and opium (morphine) .. nothing that the pharmaceutical companies have been able to manufacture and patent has ever come close to mimic the psychological and phsical effects of these drugs.

It is said, and I believe it to be true, that Coca Cola, which once contained Cocaine, still imports the coca leaves in their pure form for its secret formula. Here in the DR .. we still drink the orginal formula COCA COLA which is made with pure cane sugar, not the corn syrup.. and there is no contest between the effect of coca cola and pepsi. It is not just caffeine and sugar. There is something else.

This the global NORTH against the GLOBAL SOUTH.. because, if the money from the drug wars were to be acutally legalized and taxed, the color of the skin of the world's bankers would change from white to brown. Afghani, Bolivian, Jamaican....

However, the soft way out of this is simply to pull back the enforcement on any sort of criminial penalties on marijuana, which President Obama has already done. President Fernandez should follow his lead.

The plant, Cannabis Satvis, is native to this island. It was here before Columbus. There is a drawer in the medicine chest at the Museo de las Casas Reales which has it written on it.

Then President Fernadez should go after those who are opening up their product in the streets of the Dominican Republic.

This is a small island, heavily dependent on tourism. It cannot exist if there is an outbreak of crack induced violence.

A crack addict will sell his mother for a fix.

The Catholic Church and the drug educators here know nothing about drugs. They lump marijuana and crack into the same category as "the dark side " There are no good treat ment programs for crack.

The money laundering will and should continue. It is what will prevent this island from sinking into the sea. It will provide a safe haven from the impending crash that may come when the traders realize that they they are mostly crooks and decide to stop dealing with one another.

However, this Island, the FIRST ISLAND in the Western Hermisphere, can be a model for how we are to proceed into the next century.

Let us be clear.

Marijuana is a medicine.

Coca is a medicine.

Opium is a medicine.

Morphine is a medicine.

COCAINE IS A DRUG

CRACK IS A POISON

I trust the Senator Dodd is reading