Gustavo de Greiff, Attorney General of the nation of Colombia, has been a tough prosecutor, strengthening his country's criminal justice system and directing the forces which cornered and shot Medellin drug kingpin Pablo Escobar. But he is also a visionary, and has publicly stated that both Colombia and the U.S. need to consider better alternatives to the current drug strategy, including legalization.

For his honesty, de Greiff has come under attack from officials in the U.S. government, including the Justice Dept. and most notably Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts, who has said that the United States "must engage in a major rethinking of its relationship with law enforcement in Colombia," and that "the situation is a serious one and requires the U.S. to consider its options under the circumstances."

Sen. Kerry is trying to silence the debate on drug policy reform. It is the duty of reform supporters to let Sen. Kerry know that reform has a broad base of political support. Recently, the Drug Policy Foundation sent its members an "alert", asking its members to support Gustavo De Greiff by contacting the following officials of the U.S. and Colombian governments:

Senator John F. Kerry
U.S. Senate
Washington, DC 20510
(202) 224-2742
(202) 224-8525 (fax)

Assistant Secretary of State Robert S. Gelbard
Bureau of Int'l Narcotics Matters
Department of State
2201 C St., NW
Washington, DC 20520

Attorney General Janet Reno
Dept. of Justice
Constitution Ave. and 10th St., NW
Washington, DC 20530

President Cesar Gaviria
Casa de Narino
Cr. 8, 7-26
Santafe de Bogota, Colombia
011+571-286-7834 (fax)

Colombian Ambassador Gabriel Silva
(202) 232-8643 (fax)

Key Points for Your Letters:

• U.S. leaders should listen closely to Mr. de Greiff's arguments. His advice comes from the front lines of the failed war on drugs.
• Colombia has suffered unparalleled violence in the war on drugs, but trafficking continues.
• Mr. de Greiff deserves respect and praise, not attacks, for taking the positions he has. He is a peacemaker, not a tool of the cartels.

We cannot dismiss the idea of drug legalization. Any approach that could break the back of organized crime needs serious consideration.