Deputies denounce US pressure on drug planes

[NewsWhore]

Chamber of Deputies president Julio Cesar Valentin has confirmed that his fellow party members are under pressure from the United States to reject the bill that would permit the shooting down of aircraft suspected of carrying drugs into Dominican territory. Valentin said that, just like the Dominican Foreign Ministry, Chamber of Deputies members have received a letter from the United States government that warns of a suspension of assistance and support in combating drugs in the country if the proposal becomes law. The legislator told reporters from El Nuevo Diario in Santiago that this is 'unacceptable' behavior by the United States, since no country can tell another country what to do. Nevertheless, the Congressional leader, a PLD member, favored the approval of the bill despite the threats. According to Valentin, the assistance that the US gives the Dominican Republic to help fight drug smuggling is minimal and does not have the desired effect on reducing the problem. According to the annual report that the Department of State published last February, during 2007 the Dominican Republic "experienced an increase in airborne contraband coming from Venezuela, while the maritime cargos continued to arrive using fast boats and containers." The US authorities say that the number of flights carrying drug contraband from Venezuela towards the island of Hispaniola increased by 38% between 2006 and 2007 and "approximately two thirds of those flights were to the Dominican Republic."

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