and that's how i'm under strict september control people from here. winter olympics had to be caught, you know, in italy in 4 years clearly. so katrina, you out to 0 dating ah alright, let's get around up at the top. stories on the ukrainian president is appealing for a cease fire in the east following 2 days, a sustained shelling on the front lines, while gimme zaleski is calling on russia's president to choose a place where the 2 leaders could meet. valerie has announced russia as extended its military deployment. they're citing growing tension near the ukranian border around $30000.00 russian soldiers been carrying out exercises embellish andrew simmons has more we're hearing the, the putin was very much pointing at the issue of the ukrainians.

actually, he claimed attacking the to break away republics. the separatists micron in turn was saying just the opposite that it was actually the separatist naming attacks on ukraine. so whether or not they get a breakthrough and a c is unclear, will get a development on the whole issues involved and, and averse an all out war. this is totally on clim. australia is opening its board us after nearly 2 years to fully vaccinated tourist visitors will not need to sell ice light, but those not double job will require a travel exemption to enter and will be subject to quarantine requirements. government close the country off to the rest of the world. back in march. 2020. in a bid to control the spread of coven 19 britons. queen elizabeth has tested positive for coven 19 buckingham palace, saying the 95 year old monarch is experiencing mild symptoms and will continue with her duties. the grand ethiopia and rene san stam has begun generating

electricity for the 1st time. you see, obvious as the $5000000000.00 development will power its economy, neighbors, egypt and sudan of long complained of water shortages and flooding, caused by the blue nile river being damp police in the poor 5 t gas to disperse protest as rallying against the u. s. funded infrastructure program, official say some demonstrations were injured during the march and the council can do us cooperation is providing $500000000.00 in grants to help pay for power lines and road improvements in the pool. could excited deal, undermines the countries laws and sovereignty. those are the headlines you're up to date. we're back in half an hour right now and edges either . it's upfront frank assessments for china will benefit from the 0 call the strategy if the rest of the world cannot get

together informed opinions at all market needs and critical debate. why would be the claims that need to come and stay and she'll threat to rush up. but it's precisely, he's actually that created the insecurity in the region. in depth analysis of the days global headlines inside story on al jazeera games 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 face deadly consequences. the whole benefiting from the militarization of the drug war. and what's been the human cost that conversation is coming up. but 1st regal disparities term as president of the philippines. the soon coming to an end with filipinos getting ready to elect a new leader in may from crackdowns on the press to his own controversial war drugs . what legacy will president do? they leave for the country?

and what happens if he is replaced by the son of former dictator for non marcos this week said lighter former spokesperson to president to tear take now candidate for the senate. harry are ok. the harry are ok. thank you so much for joining me on. upfront filipino president rodrigo detect, they has only a few months left in office and perhaps his most memorable legacy will be his so called drug war. that includes a free of killings that is left thousands of people dead. your own government reports some 6200 while at 2020 you and reports as the number of killings could be more than 20000. that same you 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 the 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 or not there is liability because this crimes are ongoing and domestic chords 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 wrong 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 this figures and i cannot comment on something that i don't have any price on that adjustment. but i will say that the president has enjoyed the highest satisfaction rating ever in philippine history. that he said 72

percent and the price rating of 69 percent. no other flipping president has come close to this numbers in terms of satisfaction rating and trust rating. i don't know where your statistics are coming from, but i do know what the polls say and that the people are very happy. the filipino people at least are very satisfied and half trusted the president until now, which is unprecedented in philippine history, which is understandable. this is the only president that gave us universal health care, the philippines, which is now covered 100 then gallon filipinos was out of breath. another. i mean, again, if there were thousands it let us, you've been acknowledged alicia, to all college students now, and that the people with bullies are corey. she is the program confusing to play my student. and the reason why they have given him is the reflection dented. try smith and satisfaction rating. mr. okay, 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, ah, those other issues that you raise wouldn't be a sufficient to justify what's happened if and as far as the numbers go the gate, as far as the numbers go, that nothing got out and you can have the secret id upon initial no, no but but, but, but just 11. second, is that something that you and i can really show that that's why matters which have to be brought to the point and you're not the judge. i am, i'm not you just want to get there and judge. i'm not, i'm not attempting you. but if you just need to fix, you can't discuss 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 50001000 thousands of deaths, whether or not they're murdered in a 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 that said, 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 point? as i said, it's not for you and i discussed. it's 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 according to human rights standards. but as i said, you have to go through each and every one of these cases and you can calculate carte blanche not going to talk, shall i agree that we have to unpack 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 borders with the organization, citing quote, the authoritarian course taken by detecting the philippines is one of the most dangerous places in the world to practise journalism. and its 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, the you, when you read committee asked the philippine government to the criminal libo. it hasn't happened and that's far part that part like religious gender, to the criminalized label. now i don't know what standards the point is without borders have, 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 present has been saying, is that for any single level case against the joint lives he would answer but in the manner that they ask questions. but that's fair play because you've got to expect the present 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 like 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 get very hot, for example, and it's late as global impunity index. the committee to protect journalists noted that the philippines have 13 unsolved media killings were up from 11 and 2020 a data. and 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 exempted 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 georgia leads 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, that is 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 resulted in unprecedented convictions. ok, so i don't. but as you like to say, we won't agree. so let's move forward. let's talk about who will soon, replace president do tend to de bung bung marco's 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 unapologetically 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 micros s state, but he was never charged with the graph law violation. and there's not been a decision again, simply human rights violations either be in the philippines or under the alien blood claims act. and they live in space, so i'm and really surprised that where this is coming from because not as a lawyer, i did a due diligence on the market and they found the basis against him either down in his representative capacity as sad assistance or deputy administrator of his father's aspect, he was found guilty of tax evasion, no. can no one that activation failure to file tax returns, which is from activation. it is a distinction without a difference, would argue over, but that's a lot that you're laughing. you're very good lawyers. well, i do, you know,

the law for you, you are you are, you are a very good lawyer sir. 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 mark i see the people with, i'm sure that it's not for you and me and not the and opinion baker. so i now i will allow that people to decide that the issue. that's how it mostly works. whether or not we like the person, he made me the most violent for some part there's a concern. but if the people will choose him, so be it. you know, they're say, is seeing the voice of the people, the voice of god that the people decide 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 candidates, you know, well, i will say that 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 his 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 someone 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, 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 as well. that the people the 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 world 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 u. s. president nixon started the war on drugs and the u. s. port billions of dollars into combating transnational drug trade. the result, ordinary people throughout latin america felt the brunt of the violence and 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 and author of several books, including narco land, the mexican drug lords and their godfathers. and maria mcfarland sanchez moreno senior legal advisor at human rights watch focusing on the americas

u. s. and candidate. 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. back in 2006, mexico's 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 3 100000 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 in us aid. why does the violence continue? well, ah, release the subway complex in explanation. but for me, there for a main em issues that caused that they did. the tragedy in

mexico's is still being there. one is that they may get their principal drug cartel. sina lacardo sealed very powerful, not just in mexico, also in all day american continent and in other parts of the world. 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 bully, they put at least many parts of the government in mexico still connected with gartner. this very issue is that, you know, even even, even with a call b e shoe, that their mind of drugs in all that wrong east is more than ever. and therefore

issue is of course that we are talking about. i love i bro, problem. he's not. i look at each in 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 1980s, 900 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. and you have researched 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 fueled organized crime. so you have the drug business actively engaged in violence and very involved in 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 wealth. and no matter how hard you try with the heavy handed line for some and approach, they're going to keep going. and about you documented similarly in many ways, state involvement in the drug trade, at the highest levels of the mexican government. you exposed how former president called her owns ahead of public security was not only involved with this in a lower corto. he was on the payroll of the sla cartel. 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. jess, 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 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 this story for they don't got this to be able to drastic dis, thumbs of drugs, throw that what 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 jerky 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 road. 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 achieve nothing except destroy their lot. we're going to get that 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 interest in citing drug trafficking though, are very hard to pin down in the sense that plan colombia money that the u. s. than invested in billions of dollars in columbia starting in in the late ninety's early to thousands. this is bill clinton, brooklyn's 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 fark . 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 drug traffickers against another, and about governments if their continued business as usual and 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 wardrobe's 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, got this in mexico,

also the connection with of these characters, with their countries in a specific way with united states. you know, i got information inside one saw inside one source that used to used to work with this in a low garden. 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 that or 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 of why. again, strokes exceeds a why to try to control, to administer the business. i think the united states government had had had been a bream. and how can i said double face about these issues,

because they call it a war against drugs. but i thinking the deep, they don't want to destroy their business, they want to administer the business. and of course, these are these in 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 countries like longer, like mexico lay center make, i mean, and we have to, we have to start to talk about these c shoes. we that know the language, 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 beach. her bowed. the see 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. i lose. ah, ah

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story. we are your voice. your new york net back out here. ah . looking for a cease fire in east new crane president viola, demi zalinski course on vladimir putin to choose a place for talks to resolve the crisis. bella rou, says russian troops running joint military drills will stay indefinitely because of rising tension on the ukraine border. ah, hello, i'm hasn't think of this is as you said, a lie from the howls are coming up. britain's queen elizabeth test positive for.