Speaking in a country that has been ravaged by the narcotics trade for decades, President Barack Obama on Saturday told a forum of leaders from the Americas that legalization was not the answer to the drug war, according to The Associated Press.

Obama was participating in the meeting in Cartagena, Colombia, and the news agency says Latin America has seen growing calls for decriminalization as a way of ending the violence of the drug trade.

Mexican authorities revealed in January that nearly 50,000 people had died as a result of the drug war in that country since the government enlisted the army to combat narcotics cartels in 2006.

According to the AP, Obama said he was not opposed to the discussion of legalization but that he doubted any agreement could be reached to make this a reality.

Instead, Obama reportedly said his preferred answer to drug crime was economic growth, strengthened rule of law and sound law enforcement, according to the news agency.

The Los Angeles Times reported Friday that Obama was likely to face a rocky reception in Cartagena as many were under pressure to find a way to stop the killing.

According to The Times, Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos was to ask the […]