U.S. IS THE BEST EXAMPLE OF INEFFICIENT WAR ON DRUG-TRAFFICKING, OFFICIAL SAYS

SANTO DOMINGO.- The Executive Branch's legal Adviser affirmed
yesterday that the United States is the best proof that no country in
the world is efficiently structured to fight drug trafficking.

Cesar Pina Toribios statement refers to the U.S. State Department's
annual report, which blames corruption and weak institutions as the
main obstacles in the war against drug trafficking in Dominican
Republic and Haiti.

Pina, interviewed in his National Palace office, said that the
present Government has at no time been allied to sectors related to
drug trafficking, but agreed with the report when affirming that
wherever drug trafficking could not be controlled, there is
necessarily deficient institutionality and authority.

"That is a characteristic of all the countries. No country has the
sufficient structure to stop drug trafficking and the best proof of
that is the United States," he said.

It explained that in the case of countries such as Dominican Republic
the problem worsens from the conditions of development, poverty and
problems of a cultural nature. He said that Latin Americas
governments are responsible of the future task to solve that situation.

"This Government is a brake for drug trafficking, because it has
conducted concrete battles aimed at confronting drug trafficking and
because it has not allied itself in any circumstance nor at any
moment with sectors linked to narcotics trafficking," said Pina.