Interesting, four posts in a row, all expats or visitors, that have nothing positive to say about what the President of the DR has to say. They have passed judgments and that's final. Carry on.
The increase in the drug problem in the DR happened before Abinader became President. He is now stuck with a legacy that has permeated DR life at many levels. He’s stated his position on the matter and that’s great but, there is a significant difference between not wanting a problem and dealing with the reality of having it.
The latest incident where one of his party deputies was indicted for massive drug money laundering is politically embarrassing for him. If he deals harshly with the lady in question, he can set a good tone for his current administration and deal with the problem further if he gets re-elected.
He’s announced he’s running again and his statement on drugs is not a surprise at this point. He ran on a platform of anti corruption and his actions since taking power confirm he is serious about corruption. He faces a monumental task reducing illegal drug activity. It will never be eliminated. The best he can hope for is to clean up his party image and eliminate the drug cartel‘s influence within his party. The availability of drugs on the streets will always be a problem as it is in many countries with more enforcement resources than the DR.
It would be interesting to find out how much the underground illegal drug activity adds to the DR economy. Look around at the recent increase of sales in high end villas and expensive vehicles. Hundreds of millions of dollars floating unchecked through the DR economy, some laundered into respectable businesses and then forgotten. We know drug enforcement is a losing cause. Only a small percentage is seized. My guess is, a total effective crackdown on illegal DR drug activity would have a noticeable effect on the economy.
Drug cartel leaders are not shy about eliminating impediments to their business. The President would be subjecting himself, party members, family, and friends to risk if he made a serious effort to take on the drug lords.
