Peru taking strong stance on drugs

The plight of Michaela McCollum and Melissa Reid in Peru should be a very serious lesson to everybody that any involvement in drugs could have far-reaching consequences.

It is ironic that a substances as white as snow has plunged them into a world of great darkness, which is aptly named ‘the Devil’s dandruff’.

If the two women are found guilty and given a fair trial, then there is no reason why a heavy jail sentence should not be applied, albeit it in a prison where hygiene is adequate. We have many people in this country being murdered or sentenced every year because of their involvement in drugs, either users who commit crime to feed their habit, as middle men, or logistic operators when they are caught.

If, as alleged, the two women are found guilty and incarcerated in a South-American prison, it may be a blessing in disguise.

Drug couriers run the risk of getting killed when they make their delivery, because those buying drugs change their minds about paying them or lie to them. They just kill them once their job is done because some countries do not care about those involved in drugs or what happens to them as they know the risks to themselves and to others.

It is also understood that McCollum and Reid are not the only foreigners being held in Peru, which means that they will be treated exactly the same as a long list of people who are accused and awaiting trial. It also looks like the Peru authorities are going to make an example of them with open access for the media and going so far as to kit-out a court room especially for the media and enacting overnight laws to allow for such proceedings to held in public that are otherwise held in private up to now.

Peru seems to taking a very strong and determined stance on drug seizures in their country, which is not surprising given the difficulties they have with drugs and the pervasive international crime of drug trafficking that is now involving ordinary civilians more and more. The Peru authorities may be sending a very strong signal to the EU and world, given that the cocaine was destined for Madrid; that despite the history of Latin American countries’ perceived relaxed association and harvesting of hard drugs, Peru now appears to have a very different idea about how the future will look. Who knows, maybe in time other South-American countries will follow suit?

Maurice Fitzgerald

Shanbally

Co Cork