New York.- With the phrase “we cannot give up,” the president of the United States, Joe Bidenasked President Luis Abinader to lead the “Global Coalition to Address Synthetic Drug Threats.”
To which the president Luis Abinader He immediately pledged to convene, together with Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croÿ, the “crew” to take part in the initiative aimed at disrupting the management of the transit room by synthetic drug players.
Biden called at the summit to disrupt the supply chain, including the production and distribution of illicit drugs, detect emerging drug evidence, and increase information sharing among all our countries.
Prevent more deaths altogether by treating more people through public health interventions and increasing access to life-saving medicines where possible.
Everything was decided at the leaders’ summit held at the Intercontinental Hotel, located on 48th Street between Lixington and Park Avenue, Manhattan.
Abinader said that the threat of synthetic drug trafficking is unfamiliar and that together with “our regional partners, the Dominican Republic has developed a modern national strategy on synthetic drugs.”
The Dominican president said that in May of this year, they carried out a comprehensive evaluation of the strategy, security protocols and surveillance in airports, ports and workers, which allowed them to identify and block prohibited materials intended to produce and cause harm to health.
He said they have increased investment in key infrastructure to effectively combat these phenomena and pursue this objective.
The latest data is encouraging and confirms that we have strength.
He highlighted efforts to combat drug trafficking and transnational organized crime, specifically synthetic drugs.
He explained that just last week, in a joint operation between Dominican and American security forces, they dismantled a powerful international drug trafficking network.
The effectiveness of this effort is evidenced by drug seizures between 2020 and 2024, 148,826 tons in four years.
He said that during his administration, the average drug seizure has been 38,160 tons, compared with just 4,845 in the previous 60 years – eight times more per year.
He said that the preventive actions they have implemented have been decisive and effective.
“In this process, we have benefited from the invaluable cooperation of the United States and Mexico, who have provided us with resources, expertise and technical assistance, for which we express our deep gratitude,” the president said.
She told an anecdote about a girl whose dream was to “travel the world, but in high school she became addicted to pills. Her father eventually took her to a treatment center, but his insurance company wouldn’t cover the cost.”
Prevent and treat
Biden asked how to interrupt, detect, prevent and treat? Together, we are making that clear.
The US president said enough is enough and that as leaders, they have a strong responsibility: “to protect our people from harm. Together, through this coalition, I believe we can do just that.”
You can read: DR and Belgium to lead fight against fentanyl in the Caribbean and Europe
“We can break the cycle of violence and instability,” the US president said.
He said dozens of cartel leaders and major traffickers are now behind bars. “I am proud to announce that for the first time in five years, overdose deaths are declining across the United States. The latest data shows a 10% drop.”
He said it was the largest decline on record. “Folks, this matters. These are not just facts and figures. These are families. Families who are having to endure the loss of a child, a parent or a spouse. Families who can hold together. But there are still too many people dying. There is so much more to do. So the message today is very simple. We cannot give up.”
“We cannot give up. Drug manufacturers and cartels continue to adapt their practices, develop new chemicals, and act quickly.”
He called on countries to act more quickly. They continue to exploit global supply chains to expand networks. We need to cut them off.
He said these cartels continue to fuel violence, corruption and instability. “We have to protect our people and our communities.”
He called on “all nations present to commit to our new global coalition.”
“Commit to getting slaves out of slavery and maximizing your power to seize more drugs, stop more cartels and save more lives,” the US president said.
He thanked the leaders who participated in the coalition announcement. “They are stepping up and launching new initiatives today to advance the coalition’s efforts in three key areas.”
