By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, June 25 -- When Bolivia's UN Ambassador told the press on June 24 of President Evo Morales' plan to put out of the UN Single Convention on Narcotics and then return with a reservation allowing the chewing of coca leaf, he said that he'd discussed it with the US government which called the idea “creative.” He also said the US had cut drug war aid to Bolivia.
So Inner City Press wrote to the top two spokespeople at the US Mission to the UN, asking:
“What is the US' position on Bolivia re-joining the convention with a reservation allowing coca? Solon also said that the US has reduced its aid to the drug fight in Bolivia, even compared to other Andean countries. True? Any response? Finally, does the US want the Abyei resolution to be adopted today? Or does the US want a briefing by DPKO first?”
Friday afternoon went by, even as the Security Council met until 8 pm on the draft resolution on Abyei which the US itself had introduced, without any response from the US Mission.
Noticed by many, Ambassador Susan Rice was not in the Security Council, where Abyei was being discussed, along with Yemen.
Still, one assumes that at least one of her spokespeople remains at these times in New York, or at least online. We will continue on this.
Footnote: Inner City Press asked Solon at his press conference about the Latin American and Caribbean states organization GRULAC not having formally endorsed Ban Ki-moon for a second term as Secretary General. Solon apologized and said there wasn't time to answer this question. We'll see.
