Source: Presidencia Costa Rica

On the eve of Costa Rica’s most patriotic holiday, the United States government took time to send two messages; one from Secretary of State John Kerry on behalf of President Barack Obama, and another one from the President himself.

The message from Secretary Kerry is a standard diplomatic greeting that jovially included our country’s colloquial motto of “pura vida”; the message from President Obama, on the other hand, was of a more stern nature, as he placed Costa Rica on a list of nations that either produce or provide major transit to controlled substances, such as cocaine, that are massively consumed by the people of the U.S.

The above-mentioned missives by the U.S. government are respectively published below; the memorandum by President Obama is not published in its entirety.

Press Statement

John Kerry

Secretary of State

Washington, DC

September 14, 2015

On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States of America, I congratulate the people of Costa Rica as you celebrate your 194th year of independence on September 15, 2015.

 

The friendship between Costa Rica and the United States is rooted in the common values that our countries share. We look forward to continuing to build upon our partnership in strengthening democratic institutions, expanding inclusive economic growth, confronting climate change, and making our communities safer.

 

More than one million U.S. citizens visit your country each year, a testament to Costa Rica’s enduring beauty and environmental riches as well as the cultural and economic ties that bind our two nations together.

 

Pura vida and best wishes for a festive and jubilant celebration.

 

 

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

Presidential Determination — Major Drug Transit or Major Illicit Drug Producing Countries for Fiscal Year 2016

 

MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE

 

SUBJECT: Presidential Determination on Major Drug Transit or Major Illicit Drug Producing Countries for Fiscal Year 2016

 

Pursuant to section 706(1) of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 2003 (Public Law 107-228) (FRAA), I hereby identify the following countries as major drug transit and/or major illicit drug producing countries: Afghanistan, The Bahamas, Belize, Bolivia, Burma, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, India, Jamaica, Laos, Mexico, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela.

 

A country’s presence on the foregoing list is not a reflection of its government’s counternarcotics efforts or level of cooperation with the United States. Consistent with the statutory definition of a major drug transit or drug producing country set forth in section 481(e)(2) and (5) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended (FAA), the reason major drug transit or illicit drug producing countries are placed on the list is the combination of geographic, commercial, and economic factors that allow drugs to transit or be produced, even if a government has carried out the most assiduous narcotics control law enforcement measures.

 

The International Framework for Narcotics and Crime Control

 

The United States remains a leader in galvanizing international efforts to cooperate in addressing the full range of negative consequences tied to the drug trade and its links to criminal enterprise. The global framework for this cooperation is articulated in the three U.N. drug-control conventions as well as the U.N. conventions against transnational organized crime and corruption. The United States defines its priorities in this field in the annual National Drug Control Strategy, the 2011 U.S. Strategy to Combat Transnational Organized Crime, and other Federal public policy guidelines.

 

The United States shares the view of the international community that the U.N. drug-control conventions are resilient enough to unify countries that often hold divergent views about the international narcotics problem, while at the same time providing a framework upon which to build the best solutions to it. The U.N. drug-control conventions allow sovereign nations the flexibility to develop and adapt the most appropriate policies and programs in keeping with their own national circumstances, while also achieving the conventions’ aims. These aims include ensuring the availability of controlled substances for medical and scientific purposes, preventing drug abuse and addiction, and suppressing drug trafficking and related criminal activities.