Tomorrow, Cuba will inaugurate the National Drug Observatory (OND, for its Spanish equivalent), an expression of the political will for zero tolerance of this scourge, which demands prevention and confrontation.
In statements to the press, Deputy Minister of Justice (Minjus) Pilar Varona Estrada explained that this project is based on broad international cooperation under the principle of shared responsibility.
She specified that Cuba is a signatory to the three United Nations conventions that form the current regulatory framework for the control of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances, and chemical precursors, in addition to governmental agreements and civil and criminal assistance conventions.
She emphasized that the Island considers drug trafficking to be national security issue, which is why the most rigorous penalties under the Penal Code and the Constitution of the Republic are applied.
Varona Estrada praised the existence of the National Drug Commission, which also brings together several agencies of the Central State Administration related to the issue.
She explained that the work to set up the Observatory was also supported by technical assistance from the European cooperation program Copolad III, not only through visits, technical assessments, and videoconferences, but also through workshops and seminars for all the staff involved in its structure.
She added that the Observatory is based on three pillars that make it unique among all existing observatories:
An information network to collect data for the purpose of preparing national reports and assessments, disseminating the results to the public, and making decisions based on accurate and objective information.
A coordinated research network among the country's scientific centers and institutions to synthesize existing projects on drug-related issues, with the creation of a database.
An early warning system based on identifying and responding quickly to events occurring in Cuba and the region.
She commented that OND will be interconnected with all actors in society to address the issue with the network of observatories in the region and those associated with UN.
Its functions, she said, also include the systematization of data, epidemiological surveillance, analysis of trends in the drug market, associated risks, pathologies, and other specific indicators.
Lieutenant Colonel Yoandry González García, Deputy Head of the Ministry of the Interior's anti-drug department, noted that the country continues to cooperate with the United States in tacking this scourge.
“The country's position on drug trafficking routes for cocaine, cannabis, and marijuana acts as a barrier to trafficking directed toward the United States,” he said.
He noted that bilateral agreements since 2016 remain in place, despite the current government's policy; however, meetings have decreased, to the point of being suspended in the last period, in addition to the aggravated blockade being a limitation on cooperation.
He emphasized that the Island honors its commitments and informs U.S. authorities of detected cases of drugs being sent from the northern country to Cuba, as well as of those who organize trafficking operations both by air and by sea.
