In a message to the people of Rosario, Argentina, Pope Francis said that the all sectors of society must cooperate to address a frightening rise in drug-related violence.
Rosario, a city northwest of Buenos Aires, has been plagued for years by criminal violence and political corruption. The Pope remarked in his message: “Without the complicity of a sector of political, judicial, economic, financial and police power, it would not be possible to end up in the situation in which the city of Rosario finds itself.” Leaders of the private sector have also been guilty of complicity, the Pope said, insofar as they cooperate financially and socially with the drug traffickers.
The Pope called for strong steps to address the drug problem, saying that “it is necessary to work not only on the supply, but also on the demand for drugs, through prevention and assistance policies. The silence of the state in this field only makes it seem natural.”