galeb whistle and takes the i r c field and difficult questions about time is human rights record, previous games held in russia, so cheap and brazil, rio de janeiro res. similar questions from here. the summer and winter olympics will return to the western world held consecutively in paris, milan, and was angeles than use less likely to attract process. the organizes of the beijing olympics hope the legacy of the event will be felt in a burgeoning winters. sports industry and confidence that the city can pull off a successful games. despite a global pandemic. katrina, you al jazeera beijing. ah, this is al jazeera, these are the top stories you as president joe biden's to convene a national security meeting on sunday to discuss the crisis and ukraine, ukraine's military says rushing back separatists of fired artillery on more than 30

areas in the east. multi nation monitoring agency, the o. s. c. e recorded nearly 2000 seats for violations on saturday. russia says hypersonic missiles have been launched during so called a strategic nuclear drill, overseen by president vladimir putin, a crime and denies the war games will increase tensions. ukraine's president has warned, a war with russia will have global consequences, log me as landscape whole delegates of the munich security conference. but the international security infrastructure is proving inadequate. and ukraine, he says his country is committed to peace. what world powers are failing? it showed logic, but it seems to lead the bidders into my shoes. really, there is no such thing as it is not my war in the 21st century, the annexation of crimea, the war in dumbass are a blow to the whole world. this is not about water ukraine. this is about water in europe. i mention this in 2019, 2022021. with a well be able to hear me. 2022. a french modeling agent linked to the late sex

offender in finance. here jeffrey epstein has been found dead in a powerless prison. john burn out was taken into custody in december 2020 as part of an investigation into allegations of rape and sex trafficking of minors. one of our teams, main accusers, claims for an al procured woman for sex with epstein and others, promising the modeling work on out denied any long doing hundreds of people as celebrating on the streets of molly. after the military zante ordered the french soldiers to leave, france had already announces withdrawal after a 9 year mission fighting groups linked to al qaeda. and i thought, well, money says he wants to go on without delay. paris says the process could take up to 6 months. it was the headlines and he's continues here on our desert after upfront, goodbye. we understand the differences and similarities of cultures across the wound. semi matter,

i'm glad you called hand out you 0 will bring you the news and current affairs that mighty houses in decades of a so called war on drugs have had a devastating effect in latin america today. in many places, cartels continued to operate with impunity. corruption runs rapid, while ordinary people faced deadly consequences. who is benefiting from the militarization of the drug war. and what's been the human cause that conversation is coming up. but 1st regal to charities, term as president of the philippines assume, coming to an end with filipinos getting ready to elect a new leader in me from crackdowns on the press to his own controversial wall drugs . what legacy will president would have to leave for the country? and what happens if he is replaced by the son of former dictator, fed and, and marco's, this week's head, lighter former spokesperson to president to charity. now candidate for the senate, mary rocha ah harriet.

okay. thank you so much for joining me. on up front, filipino president, rodrigo detect there has only a few months left in office and perhaps his most memorable legacy will be his so called drug work. that includes a spray of killings that is left thousands of people dead. your own government reports some 6200 while at 2020 you and report says the number of killings could be more than 20000 or that same. you in report found that of more than $42000.00 anti illegal drug operations carried out by the police. only 1.2 percent were based on an actual arrest warrant. you're a lawyer, you identify as a human rights champion. how do you explain these numbers? well, that's a matter of being investigated now by the prosecutor of the international criminal court. and i leave it to the prosecutor. and of course, the icy prosecutor is now looking into whether not there is liability because these

crimes are ongoing and domestic cords are unable or unwilling to take part. in terms of the matter right now, the evidence is being examined by the prosecutor and we leave it at that. well, i don't want to leave it at that, but i want to pressure just a little bit because just looking at the raw numbers, it feels a bit odd. that 1.2 percent could be based on an arrest warrant. that means that we see a large number of anti drug operations that happening, and it's not clear how or why. i don't know where you got the figures. i don't have personal knowledge about the figures and i can comment on something that they don't have any prices on that job. but i will say that the present has enjoyed the highest satisfaction rating ever in philippine history. that is that 72 percent and the price reading of 69 percent. no other flipping president has come close to these numbers in terms of satisfaction rating and trust rating. i don't know where

your statistics are coming from, but i don't know what the polls say and that the people are very happy. the filipino people at least are very satisfied and have trusted the president until now, which is unprecedented into the been history, which is understandable. this is the only president that gave us universal health care, the philippines, which is now covered 100 daniel and will be, knows what was going on there. i mean, again, if you've been acknowledged all college students now and the people that are competing and why they have given in less than 10 trask. mr. satisfaction rating. mr. ok, i mean, these are competing claims, though it is entirely possible to give people college access. it's completely possible to give people all sorts of resources and still have a very stunning violation of human rights taking place in the country. and for those tens of thousands of people who have been subjected to these drug operations

. and for the thousands of people who have been killed, those other issues that you raised wouldn't be sufficient to justify what happened if as far as the numbers go, as far as the numbers go, nothing out of the plan initial. no, no but but but, but just 11 second is something that you and i can really show that matters which have to be brought to the point and you're not the judge. i am not a judge or in judge, i'm not, i'm not attempting. but just to got cases without the facts. i'm a lawyer, you're not. and i'm telling you you can do that. now they are investigations ongoing. we cannot pre solve supposedly 500010001000 of deaths, whether or not their murders, you know, talk show you do that in a court of law. well, it's adjudicated in a court of law, but just to be clear, i'd like to finish this, this sentence in the stop one, the number of people who died. you say you don't know where these facts come from.

even the most conservative number comes from the philippine drug enforcement agency of 6221. and as far as the percentage of people who have been who, who are investigated because of a warrant, that 1.2 percent number, the fed comes from the report of the un high commissioner for human rights. and you said we should appeal to international bodies in order to decide these medicines, the international bodies is coming up with the numbers that you're finding skip that you're skeptical of. and as far as the international criminal court do tend to say himself, this has said that he doesn't respect the international criminal court. and he has also been quoted as saying, i will never apologize, never apologized for the death, kill me, j o me. i will never apologize. does that sound like someone who is willing to respond appropriately to the decision of any, any governing body? what is your for him? as i said, is that for you and i discussed it now being that gave her the proper authorities, international and domestic. let's leave it that. that if there is a s a p,

and if there is proportional to be, then the killings become legal because they are legal and that's pointing to human, great standards. but as i said, you have to go through each and every one of these cases. and you can conclude carte blanche not going to talk, shall i agree that we have the impact these cases. i disagree that we, this isn't the place for us to do it. this is exactly the place for us to interrogate people about issues that matter. your country. is ranked 100 and 38th in press, freedom by reporters without waters with the organization, citing quote, the authoritarian course taken by to charity. the philippines is one of the most dangerous places in the world to practise journalism. and it's notorious libel law has been used to target to criminalize and create impunity for the killing of journalists. what does that say about the state of democracy? well, that you, when you read smithy, asked the philippine government to the criminal libo. it hasn't happened and that's far part and parcel like religious agenda to the criminalized libo. now i don't

know what standards the, the point is without borders has, but i can tell you, we have one of the free yes press in the world. and, and both of these, of course, as far as the president has been saying, is that for any single level case against the joint lives, he would answer back in the manner that they ask questions. but that's fair play because you've got to expect the president to be meek and polite, know when number, when, when he's being subjected to a branch of questions now. so i would say that's a opinion, but as far as i know, and i represented many, joined the list in this country that joined the lives are doing their job and doing it well. yeah, the issue here though, and i appreciate your analysis of the criminalization of libel. that's a piece of it. but we're also talking about the killing of journalists in the country that the ranking of $138.00 and press freedom is something that still must be understood and, and, and examined. but what we're looking at cases, i mean,

for example, and it's late as global impunity index. the committee to protect journalists noted that the philippines of 13 unsolved media killings up from 11 and 2020 a data cpg also shows the 85 journalists were murdered in the philippines between 1990. 2 and 2021 and rodrigo detected the president to turn to the day in june of 2016. he issued this, this, this warning, after being sworn in said, just because you're a journalist, you are not exempt from assassination. if you are a son of a freedom of expression cannot help you if you have done something wrong. what do you make of that quote? nothing. it's the statement of an opinion that journalists also have to be careful with what they do know for the nation. if it's not exempt from assassination, it's not just a statement you can. would you agree that that'd be a threat of some sort. you know, you can make your own conclusions. i'm not here for the day. no, no, i'm not debating. i'm asking what you are. i respect you and want to know your as a human rights attorney, i'd be curious, know what your analysis is. if you heard that the president of

a country where that is where sort of statement of opinion we're talking about freedom of expression who says he doesn't have a fever of expression to ok. what's important is andy is regime. he started an official office that has to deal with me to feelings and it has resulted in unprecedented convictions. ok, so i don't think that, but as you like to say, we won't agree. so let's move forward. let's talk about who will soon replace a president do tend to de bungling marcos junior. the son of former dictator ferdinand marco's is the current front runner. he's been caught repeatedly trying to siphon away some of the billions of dollars that his father stole from the filipino people during his rule. 6 years of which bung bung served in government. he's also routinely minimize the severity of the human rights abuses that were committed by his father's regime. is the unapologetic, really the best choice, but he has not been. he has not been found guilty of siphoning money. he was in believe that as for administrator of the michael s state,

but he was never charged with an anti graph law violation. and there's not been a decision again, simply human rights violations either be in the philippines or under the claims act in the united states. so i'm and really surprised at where this is coming from, because not as a lawyer, i did a due diligence on the market and i found no cases against him either down in his representative capacity as sad assistance or deputy administrator of his father's estate. he was found guilty of tax evasion. no. who, knowing that that revision failure to file tax returns, which is from activation. it is a distinction without a difference. i would argue over it, but that's a low that i laugh. you're very good. lawyer said, well, i do use loader law for you. you are, you are, you are a very good lawyer. so my question though is do you feel like having,

do you feel that he has demonstrated the character and then he and after your due diligence that you say you perform? do you feel like he's the appropriate person to, to be the next president? you know, you know the marker, see that people will, i'm sure that it's not for you and me and not the and opinion baker. so allow, i will allow the people to decide that the issue, that's how much the works. whether or not we like the person, he made me the most violent by some point there's a concern. but if the people will choose him, so be, you know, they're say, seeing the voice of the people, the voice of god, that the people who say that's a political question, only the sovereign people could answer that. all right, and you're a citizen and a vocal supporter of his candidacy. so i would imagine if you're a vocal support of his candidacy, then you could answer the question as a supporter of his candidate. you know, well, i will see him the most qualified because i think the most important experience to be president is experience in an executive position. and he has had the longest period to have served as a local government executive as governor of the province now. so i think it's most

qualified. so before we go to one more question, you have been a celebrated human rights attorney. you have champion many important causes. some would view your current position, both running for office and defending some of the most horrific dimensions of a repressive government. as a kind of moral fall from grace, what would you say to those people who say that you had been co opted sold out or otherwise? marley corrupted. nothing. those are the thoughts of very big offense and narrow minded individuals. i value freedom of expression. so be it, let the people decide, that's why i'm studying for elections. i stood for elections, one was elected. we'll see what the people say us where that the people who say so thank you so much for joining me on up front. ah, in latin america, hundreds of thousands of people have died from the so called war on drugs and tens

of thousands still remain forcibly disappeared. the power of cartels is not waning and many still feel the dire effects of failed counter drug policies. it's now been more than half a century since you as president nixon started the war on drugs and the u. s. port billions of dollars and to combating transnational drug trade. the result, ordinary people throughout latin america felt the run of the violence in the us. black and brown communities suffered the most from punitive counter drug policies. so is this really a war on drugs, or is it a war for control and profit? joining us to discuss this are renowned mexican investigative journalist, annabel hernandez, an author of several books, including narco land, the mexican drug lords, and they're godfathers, and maria mcfarlane sanchez moreno, senior legal advisor at human rights watch focusing on the americas us and canada. she's also the author of there are no did hear a story of murder and denial in columbia. thank you both for joining me on up front, annabel. i'm going to start with you a back in 2006 mexico, former president,

philippe called their own launched a u. s. backed war on drugs in the country dispatching the army and federal police to combat drug violence. but it actually had the opposite effect of violence increased in since then. more than 300000 people have been killed. and more than 90000 people had been registered as forcibly disappeared. despite the initiatives to supposedly stop the drug war and billions of dollars and us aid, why does the violence continue? well, ah, really is a separate complex in explanation. but for me, there for a main em issues that caused that they did the tragedy in mexico's still being there. one is that they may get their principal drug cartel. sina lacardo sealed very powerful, not just in mexico,

also in only the american continent. and you know, their bus of the wool, and of course ed de kuntal is still impugn. second, that unfortunately the got as he had been having baby, many times strong thighs and tights with their, with their butts of the mexican government. i mean, the military, they, they bullied, they didn't believe many parts of the government in mexico still connected with gartner. this very issue is that, you know, even even, even with a coby issue, that demand of drugs in all that wrong east, east, more than ever. and therefore issue is of course, that we are talking about i blow by bro. problem, he's not, i look at issue mexico in immensely could you can see that there's a big tragedy,

but the responsibility, the east in all the world. maria, let me turn to you because in columbia we're seeing an interesting development as well. the drug cartels don't have as much power as they did in the 198900 ninety's, but columbia still the world's biggest producer of cocaine. drug trafficking has had a just a devastating impact on the population for, for decades in you have research the connection between drug traffickers in columbia and very high levels of government or how deep is state involvement the drug trade in columbia. so the pattern that you see in columbia is in many ways, very similar to what you see in mexico in afghanistan and many other countries. which is that prohibition, right? this war on drugs, heavy handed enforcement extradite, arrest, kill, drug traffickers, approach. all it does is make the value, the price of drugs higher rate in that fuel to organized crime. so you have the

drug business actively engaged in violence and very involved and corrupting public officials to protect themselves, to protect their drug corridors, to allow them to do all their business with impunity and, and to allow them to keep their, their wealth. and no matter how hard you try with the heavy handed line for some approach, they're going to keep going and about you've documented similarly in many ways, state involvement in the drug trade, at the highest levels of the mexican government. you exposed how former president calder owns ahead of public security was not only involved with this in a lower corto. he was on the payroll of this in a low corto. so when the government says it's fighting, the drug war is this, just a cover is, is complete dishonesty. but why would the state be protecting these cartels?

well, i say is already explained, we are talking about a global issue just in mexico. we know, because this is a fact that the mexican government, the mexican c stem, is very corrupted. we have a lot of examples of that. but what about the rest of the world? what about united states? you know, is there me guess consumer of, of drugs in, in the world. what about eop, what about us? yeah, i mean, because the drugs does not the just stay in mexico columbia and that then of the story for they don't got this to be able to drastic dis, thumbs of drugs, throw that wall. they need corrupted connections. not just in mexico, not just in columbia, also in germany, in, you know, in amsterdam, in bar e's in new york. so we are talking about dad in these.

why under ox, that groups on east everywhere. because we are talking about the profits of these geared to business, create millions of dollars. it's a great point and, and maria where out about things very important, right? so many people stand to benefit from, ah, the war on drugs or the enterprise, it's connected to the war on drugs. you have security contractors, you have banks or that longer money to corrupt politicians. this can't be isolated to one entity to one state, to, to one person in your view who stands to benefit the most from the world, wrote her i mean, i think that organized crime ultimately stands to benefit the most because it makes them so powerful. and so wealthy and organized crime plus all of their cronies in the state. and as i've pointed out, it's not just in mexico or in columbia that you're,

that you're looking at issues. so yes, it's those networks. it's not the growers, for example, who often get targeted or the people who get prosecuted in the united states for low level sales. and certainly not the people who get prosecuted for using drugs, right. you know, all of those groups of people stand to lose, right? people overwhelmingly low income, black and brown, people in the united states and mexico and, and columbia end up prosecuted, imprisoned for drug offenses in this war on drugs push and that achieves nothing except destroy their lot. well, take a step back and talk a little bit about sort of the united states getting involved in the war on drugs in latin american countries. there had to be a geo political logic, a geo political reasoning for it. oh, why does the united states invest itself?

why does it make that decision to invest itself? was it a new form of sort of control so to speak? you know, the us, his interests in siding drug trafficking though, are very hard to pin down in the sense that plan colombia money that the u. s. than invested in, you know, billions of dollars in columbia starting in in the late ninety's early to thousands . this is bill clinton bill clinton initiative. that money was mainly used to go after the fark girl us. they said it was to fight drug trafficking, but very little of it was focused on going after the paramilitaries were the biggest drug traffickers at the time. and most of it was used to go after the park . so the motivations get very murky because what you end up it with is a government that is, you know, very connected to the paramilitaries in the early 2,

thousands going after the fart. so the u. s. seemed to be backing one group of truck traffic, chris against another, and about governments if their continued business as usual in their approach to the drug war, you know, bolster insecurity forces with us funding or deploying military's fueling corruption criminalizing victims. what can we do? what would be a more effective and humanitarian approach to really ending a wall drugs if that's at all possible. worry sir, is a complicated question. you know, because in, in my point of view really had never exceed one real war against drugs. what i do know, i have been investigating the drug, cut this in mexico, also the connection of these characters with their countries in a specific way with united states. you know, i got information inside,

once or inside one source that used to used to work with this in a la carte. and even the source told me, rebel me how, how did some parts of the u. s. government start to have some relation, you want to see what them call it, like that with the senior members of this in a la carte, that. so when i had, what i have understand is that doesn't exceed a y against drugs. exceeds a why to try to control, to administer the business. i think the united states government had had had been a bereaved. and how can i said a double face about these issues because they call it and what against drugs. but i think in the deep they don't want to destroy their business, they want to administer the business. and of course, these are the same,

these purpose to my nash, and not destroy their business. create a lot of big themes. the main of the big themes are in e, in gantries, like like, laundry and like mexico lay center make, i mean, and we have to, we have to start to talk about these issues with another languish these east and international issue. or the current is, should do a big plan. how to approach to these problem. i mean, we have to just try to, to let, let live away. then the old is, is beach. her bowed. the c shoe, i start to and start to talk about these in a new way. maria annabel. thank you so much for joining me. everybody. that is our show up front. we'll be back next week.

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affected area. to be there to tell the people story was very important at the time . ah ha, monitors in the eastern ukraine record, almost 2000 cease fire violations on saturday to ukrainian soldiers are killed and fighting with pro russian separatists. meanwhile rushes president vladimir putin overseas strategic nuclear drills involving hypersonic ballistic missiles. ah, i'm roll matheson, this is al jazeera alive from dough hob, also coming up.