Just days after Guatemalan President Otto Perez Molina said he will propose legalizing drugs in Central America in an upcoming meeting with the region's leaders, a UTEP cartel expert said the solution to end the violence is not that easy.

"There's always going to be the incentive to try and produce these drugs," said Dr. Tony Payan, a political science instruction at the University of Texas El Paso, who is also writing a book on the subject. "It would take about 15 years, 15 years for these groups to start moving from the illegal to the legal sector."

Payan said the regulation process could take years to complete and there have been no studies done so far to see what the full impact of legalizing drugs in Mexico would be.

The Guatemalan president said the war on drugs, and all the money and technology received from the U.S., has not diminished drug trafficking in the area. Perez Molina said in a radio interview that would include decriminalizing the transportation of drugs through the area.

He said drug cartels are to blame for the high rates of violence in Guatemala, which has a homicide rate of 45 per 100,000 people.

In an interview with The Associated Press, one day after he promised to propose legalizing drugs in Guatemala, President Otto Perez Molina said the Central American country isn’t following U.S. orders, despite American opposition to legalization.
He didn't mention Saturday when the next meeting with Central American leaders will be.

Guatemalan President Otto Perez Molina said he will propose legalizing drugs in Central America in an upcoming meeting with the region's leaders.

Perez Molina said in a radio interview that would include decriminalizing the transportation of drugs through the area.

The Guatemalan president said the war on drugs, and all the money and technology received from the U.S., has not diminished drug trafficking in the area.

He said drug cartels are to blame for the high rates of violence in Guatemala, which has a homicide rate of 45 per 100,000 people.