Within the framework of the cooperation program between Argentina and the United States, and with the support of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), a high-level event on comprehensive strategies to address the challenges posed by the illicit trafficking of synthetic drugs and the diversion of their precursor chemicals was held on October 15 at Buenos Aires’ Palacio San Martín.
Foreign Affairs Minister Diana Mondino gave the opening remarks, followed by the interventions of high-level authorities such as Minister of Justice Mariano Cúneo Libarona, Minister of Health Mario Lugones, Minister of Security Patricia Bullrich, Attorney General Eduardo Casal, Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) Todd Robinson, the UNODC Regional Representative for the Andean Region and Southern Cone Candice Welsch, and U.S. Ambassador to Argentina Marc R. Stanley.
The authorities agreed on the enormous challenge and serious threat posed by the illicit trafficking of synthetic drugs, as well as on the joint efforts needed to counteract the illicit distribution of this type of drugs.
The event is part of the Global Coalition to Address Synthetic Drug Threats, a U.S.-led alliance of which Argentina is a member along with 160 countries worldwide and 15 international organizations. The importance of this initiative lies in the fact that the only way to counteract this scourge is by joining efforts at the multilateral, regional, and bilateral levels. An example of this is Argentina’s international cooperation with the United States and international organizations such as UNODC.
The high-level event was followed by a theoretical-practical workshop, October 16-17, aimed at officials from the federal security and police forces, the Attorney General’s Office, the Customs General Directorate specialized in this area, and the Secretariat for Comprehensive Drug Policies of Argentina (Sedronar). The activity provided tools for the early detection of new psychoactive substances and for the safe dismantling of illicit synthetic drug processing centers.
Since March 2023, UNODC, through the Program against Synthetic Drugs in Argentina (DROSINAR), sponsored by the U.S. INL Office, has trained more than 1,500 officials from federal and provincial institutions that deal with drug crime in the identification, investigation, criminal prosecution, and dismantling of illicit trafficking networks of synthetic drugs, thus strengthening national capacities in this area.
In this way, Argentina reinforces its commitment to the fight against a serious and ever-changing challenge that does not recognize borders and requires a joint and decisive response. This effort strengthens national capacities and consolidates a global network with the objective of guaranteeing a safe and drug-free future for our societies.
