US President Barack Obama has added Belize and El Salvador to a blacklist of countries considered major producers or transit routes for illegal drugs. The blacklisting came on the day El Salvador celebrates independence from Spain and days before Belize also observes its Independence Day.
Officials said cartels were using the two Central American nations as routes for smuggling cocaine from South America north to Mexico and the US. In total, 22 countries were included on the drugs blacklist.
Three were deemed to have "failed demonstrably" in the fight against drugs - Burma, Bolivia and Venezuela. Correspondents say the inclusion of Belize and El Salvador on the list reflects the growing influence of Mexico's powerful drugs cartels.
In El Salvador in particular, the Mexican cartels are thought to be forming alliances with street gangs known as "Maras". On a visit to El Salvador last March, President Obama promised $200m (£139m) to help fight crime in Central America.
Further international aid was promised at a regional security conference in June, amid concerns that small Central American states lack the resources to stand up to Mexico's drugs cartels.
About two-thirds of the cocaine entering the US is thought to pass through Central America, and the region also has some of the highest murder rates in the world.
The other Central American countries - Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama - were already on the blacklist, as were Mexico and major cocaine producers Colombia and Peru.
The US president is required to notify Congress each year of major drug producing and transit nations.
Anonymous (not verified) –
If The United States is the major consumer of drugs, then it stands that Belizeans should not bother to go to that country.
Anonymous (not verified) –
If belize is a bordering country and crime rate has not increrased then now that it has been added to the blacklist, then this means that sooner or later we'll be confronting a high rate in crime and especially in drug trafficking.
Belize lets join forces to help our country, probably not to stop drug trafficking
But not allowing it to increase, also to find resources to assist Our gov't to provide educational programs for the young children that are the future for Belize tomorrow.
Anonymous (not verified) –
UNCLE SAM NEEDS TO TELL ITS FELLOW AMERICANS TO STOP CONSUMING AND THE DRUG MARKET WILL COMPLETELY PLUMMET TO A 0 VALUED MARKET OR IN OTHER WORDS FROM MAKING MILLIONS TO MAKING NOTHING IF IT ISN'T CONSUMED! STOP BLAIMING COUNTRIES AND BLAME YOUR OWN PEOPLE!
Anonymous (not verified) –
humbug...on the u.s.a.