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| Caravan for Peace, Life and Justice is welcomed in the Zocalo, Mexico City's main plaza Photo: Caravana por la paz, la vida y la justicia: Facebook |
Sunday afternoon in the Zocalo [central plaza], Mexican organizations defending human rights and members of civil society received the Caravan for Peace, Life and Justice, which is demanding a halt to the war on drugs.
The caravan, which began its journey on March 28 in Honduras, and has passed through El Salvador, Guatemala and Chiapas and Guerrero, Mexico, has as its final destination the New York City, where it is scheduled to arrive on April 18, on the eve of the General Assembly of the United Nations (UN) Special Session on drugs [April 19-21].
The aim of this caravan is to try to influence international policies on drugs, which so far has been aimed at combating [trafficking] and criminalizing the final consumer. Given the failure that this view has represented, members of organizations from five countries said it is necessary to open a new dialogue on alternative policies, emphasizing the social costs of prohibition and the war on drugs, giving priority to respect for human rights and decreased violence.
Alberto Velazquez, of the Faith Communities Organized for Action of El Salvador, which brings together representatives of the Protestant and Catholic churches, explained that the route of the caravan through these five countries also has the task of collecting testimonies from people affected by the violence generated by the war on drugs.
He added that the caravan is made up of about 40 people, including experts, leaders, relatives of victims of the war and members of social action movements. He empahsized that at their destination of the UN General Assembly of the UN, they will raise this demand to change international policies in the fight against drugs.
Several salsa and alternative rock bands participated in hosting the caravan in the Zocalo. Monday morning, the caravan will participate in a meeting at the Museum of the City of Mexico, and then in the afternoon will meet with students at the Faculty of Political and Social Sciences of the National Autonomous University of Mexico. Spanish original
See more information on the Caravan and its itinerary