Spending cuts won’t hurt the country’s war on drugs: Foote

Barahona, Dominican Republic.- U.S. Embassy chief of staff Daniel Foote on Tuesday said Washington’s spending cuts will not affect its aid for Dominican Republic’s fight against drug trafficking.

He said on the contrary, more than US$12.0 million will be allocated this year for new projects on security designed together with Dominican authorities to fight drugs and crime. "The decrease of resources in Latin America hasn’t affected the funds we have here in the Dominican Republic thus far."

For his part, Gen. Orlando Salinas, Deputy chief of the U.S. Southern Command, said they’ll continue fighting the cartels which “flood the streets of drugs.”

"In no way would I say that we’re losing this struggle, or that it shouldn’t be waged, " Salinas said, noting that "what’s at risks is our children… And that’s worth fighting for," the general officer said, adding that it’s a problem in which everyone should get involved.

The two officials spoke after the start of the humanitarian assistance program "Beyond the Horizon 2014" being staged in the southwestern province by the U.S. Southern Command together with Dominican Republic’s Defense Ministry/

The US$9.8 million program includes the construction of three clinics and two schools in several local communities, to be completed June 20. Thus far 6,653 people have received medical care in four drives, and the second time Barahona benefits from the humanitarian aid.