“Broach Reach and Relationships” Key for Fight Against Drugs

Keith Gilges

On Thursday, News Five spoke with outgoing Chargé d’Affaires for the U.S. Embassy, Keith Gilges, about a range of issues.  Among them were United States’ efforts to fight transnational drug trafficking. He says it is a multifaceted problem that must be fought on several fronts. 

Keith Gilges, Chargé d’Affaires, U.S. Embassy in Belize

“Nobody can be satisfied with what we are doing until we have stopped the problem. We need to work without partners in South America on the production of drugs. We need to work with our partners in Central America and the Caribbean on the transshipment of drugs. We need to work with Mexico to combat the cartels that are moving these drugs and creating such violence there. We need to work in the US on our consumption issues. Because, if we stop consuming the rest of it goes away. But you cannot just tackle any one of those things. So, we again have the broad reach and relationship to work on all sides of the problem. We are not going to say that we can interdict our way out of a problem, or we can prevent production out of the problem, or we can stop consuming to end the problem. We must tackle all of them. Am I satisfied? No, I am never satisfied. We can always do more. How can we do this better, where do we need to invest? Am I proud of what we have accomplished? Absolutely.”