The police operation against drug trafficking in Son Banya was necessary, but its execution reveals a double standard. Shacks are demolished while other forms of speculation that also degrade the city are tolerated. The problem is not just drug dealing, but the social exclusion and lack of opportunities that fuel it. Attacking the symptom without addressing the causes is a band-aid that doesn't heal the wound.
Technology against drug trafficking: surveillance or prevention? 🤖
Authorities use drones and data analysis to map sales points, an effective short-term tool. However, technology does not solve the void of job insertion policies or decent housing. Investing in sensors and cameras without accompanying them with detox programs and vocational training is like installing an antivirus on a system with broken hardware. The realistic solution combines surveillance with real opportunities.
Squaring the circle: demolishing and not building 🔨
The strategy is reminiscent of a plumber who patches a leak with duct tape: it fixes the noise, but not the rotten pipe. Demolishing shacks without offering a housing alternative is like kicking residents out of the neighborhood so they set up shop next door. If at least they gave away a catalog of tourist apartments with the demolition order, the irony would be perfect. But no, it's time to keep criminalizing poverty while speculation smiles.