Cuba will launch its National Drug Observatory with an early warning system

In order to strengthen surveillance over emerging psychoactive substances and enhance the state's response capacity, the Ministry of the Interior (MININT) announced the launch of the National Drug Observatory, scheduled for this Friday.

The statement was published on the official MININT profile on Facebook, where it was detailed that the Observatory will integrate three main components: an information network, a research network, and an early warning system to detect changes in the phenomenon of drug consumption and trafficking.

The Deputy Minister of Justice, Pilar Varona Estrada, claimed that it is a unique model on an international level, designed to generate scientific evidence for the formulation of public policies, as well as to quickly alert about new substances, routes, or patterns of consumption.

This initiative, presented as both an effort and a achievement, is supported by the European program Copolad III, which has funded Cuba in developing a roadmap and conducting technical seminars to guide the implementation of the Observatory.

According to the MININT, the tool will also serve to centralize information on drug behavior in Cuba and its evolution at regional and global levels, in a context where the island maintains its official policy of zero tolerance towards drug trafficking and consumption, even though the consumption of these substances has surged internally.

Regarding the launch, the Deputy Minister of Justice assured that the project falls within the "political will of zero tolerance" towards drugs, and reminded that Cuba is a signatory to the three UN conventions on the control of narcotic drugs, as well as to bilateral agreements and criminal cooperation, reported Granma.

Varona emphasized that drug trafficking is treated by the State as a matter of national security, which justifies the predominantly punitive approach applied on the island, where consumption remains criminalized and there has been no room for harm reduction policies or a public health approach.

For his part, Lieutenant Colonel Yoandry González García from the Ministry of the Interior defended that Cuba "continues to cooperate with the United States" on drug trafficking issues, although he acknowledged that bilateral meetings have decreased and are currently suspended.

He also blamed the U.S. embargo for limiting that cooperation, a common stance in official discourse.

According to the official, Cuba acts as a "buffer" against cocaine and marijuana trafficking routes to the United States.

However, he avoided addressing the internal gaps that allow these substances —and others, such as controlled medications— to increasingly circulate in the national black market.

In recent weeks, the Cuban regime has intensified its rhetoric and repressive actions against drug trafficking, in an attempt to control a situation that has spiraled out of their hands.

The activation of a national exercise against drug trafficking, involving government institutions and repressive forces, was presented as a demonstration of institutional commitment, but it also reveals a growing concern regarding the expansion of the phenomenon.

The increase in convictions for drug-related offenses reinforces this trend. It was recently reported that several Cubans received sentences of up to 12 years in prison for drug trafficking, in judicial processes where exemplary penalties are emphasized over a health or preventive approach.

These actions, far from being isolated, are part of an official response that is becoming more stringent as consumption normalizes in many social settings, especially among young people.

One of the most significant cases was that of a man sentenced to 20 years in prison for cultivating marijuana in the province of Ciego de Ávila.

The severity of the sentence reflects the state's punitive approach, even when it comes to small-scale crops. This hardline policy has not prevented reports of the circulation of marijuana, cocaine, and controlled medications in the national black market from multiplying.

Another recent episode was the trial of a Venezuelan citizen who was convicted in Santiago de Cuba for drug trafficking, demonstrating that distribution networks cross borders and that the country is far from being just a transit point.

Despite the official rhetoric of "zero tolerance," the increasing frequency of seizures and sentences indicates that the phenomenon is already rooted within the national territory.

Frequently Asked Questions about the National Drug Observatory in Cuba