Excerpt from a commentary by Former Brazilian President Fernando Henrique Cardoso, published in The Observer, 6 September 2009.
It is time to admit the obvious. The "war on drugs" has failed, at least in the way it has been waged so far. In Latin America, the "unintended" consequences have been disastrous. Thousands of people have lost their lives in drug-associated violence. Drug lords have taken over entire communities. Misery has spread. Corruption is undermining fragile democracies...
• Fernando Henrique Cardoso was president of Brazil from 1995-2003