Pubdate: Fri, 13 Apr 2012 Source: Windsor Star (CN ON) Copyright: 2012 The Windsor Star Contact: http://www.canada.com/windsorstar/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/501 Author: Mark Kennedy PM'S DRUG STANCE WILL BE UNPOPULAR AT SUMMIT Cuba Policy May Also Rile Some OTTAWA - Prime Minister Stephen Harper is flying to a weekend summit in Colombia where his hard line on drugs will put him at odds with some Latin American leaders who are calling for debate over whether drug use should be decriminalized. Harper's position on Cuba also could run afoul of a possible consensus by countries in central and South America. Harper is attending the Summit of the Americas, a conference of leaders from 34 nations held every three years. Talks this year will include such issues as trade expansion, and Harper will meet with senior business executives from Canada and elsewhere who are attending the summit to discuss investment in the Western Hemisphere. As well, it's expected many Latin American leaders will argue the time has come, after decades of being barred from the summit, for Cuba to be invited to the next gathering. That will run counter to the firm positions of Canada and the United States, which insist Cuba should not be permitted to attend the next summit until the communist regime initiates democratic reforms. Another issue - illicit drugs - is top of mind for some leaders. The escalating violence connected to warring drug cartels in Latin America has some nations insisting it's time for a new approach: softer penalties for drug use or perhaps even a decriminalized system in which governments regulate how drugs are sold. To varying degrees, the leaders of Guatemala, Colombia, Mexico and Costa Rica have spoken out in favour of exploring approaches other than the criminal to the problem of illegal drug use. But on Thursday, Harper's director of communications said Canada will argue strenuously against decriminalization of illegal drugs. "The prime minister would be a strong voice in that debate," said Andrew Macdougall. "The government's strategy is, in fact, completely in the opposite direction. "A key priority for us is to fight illicit drugs, particularly the transnational organizations that are behind the drug smuggling. Here at home, we have put in place tough new laws to crack down on these groups, to put drug dealers behind bars where they belong." Critics of the "war on drugs" approach note Latin American drug cartels have grown more powerful as violence spreads throughout the region - claiming more than 50,000 lives in Mexico alone - and that drug use has increased in Canada and the U.S. Some leaders are looking to this weekend's summit as a perfect opportunity to debate a question that was once taboo: Why not remove the profits of the cartels by making the drug trade a legal - but highly regulated - business? Neither the Harper government nor President Barack Obama's administration welcome the option. The Obama administration says it is open to debate on the issue - if only to "demystify" decriminalization and show how it would make matters worse. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom