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| DRUG WAR | |
 August 30, 2000  |
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After a background report, four experts discuss President Clinton's visit to Colombia, the drug war and the United States' $1.3 billion aid package.
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He came bearing gifts for Colombian President Andres Pastrana: A $1.3 billion US aid package for Colombia's drug war. That money is part of $20 billion targeted by the Clinton administration and Congress to fight the drug war internationally. About a quarter of the money for Colombia is aimed at judicial reforms and human rights training. The rest is to provide helicopters and other equipment and military training for two Colombian anti-narcotics army battalions.
Currently, the country produces at least 80 percent of the world's cocaine, and most of the heroin imported into the United States. Over the last eight years, the country's drug production has grown an estimated 750 percent. Drug traffickers have close ties with left-wing guerrillas who have been fighting Colombia's governments for decades. In its battle against the drug trade and the guerrillas, the Colombian military has committed well-documented human rights abuses. In particular, some military leaders have been charged with developing right-wing paramilitary groups, which have committed mass murders and other acts.
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| Plan Colombia | ||||||||||||||||||||
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PRESIDENT CLINTON: Of course 'Plan Colombia' will also bolster our common efforts to fight drugs and the traffickers who terrorize both our countries. But please, do not misunderstand our purpose. We have no military objective. We do not believe your conflict has a military solution. ELIZABETH FARNSWORTH: But the President faces criticism on several fronts, including from one of the rebel groups-- the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-- also known by its Spanish acronym, FARC.
ELIZABETH FARNSWORTH: Also, in a newspaper interview today, Colombian President Pastrana placed some blame for the drug war on the United States, which is the leading consumer of illegal drugs: "Colombia can put a stop to drugs here at some point, but if the demand continues, somebody else somewhere else in the world is going to produce them." |
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ELIZABETH
FARNSWORTH: President Clinton landed in the Colombian port city Cartegena
today amid heavy security. Some 5,000 Colombian soldiers and police
officers had erected roadblocks and searched motorists in preparation
for the President's arrival in this war-torn country. 
Today
Reuters reported that Brigadier General Keith Huber, director of operations
at the US Southern Command in Miami, will go to Bogota to oversee the
military aid. Colombia's army is up against a drug industry that takes
in more than $500 million a year. 
The
original aid package passed by Congress required the military to be
held accountable for those violations before the money was released.
But despite criticism from human rights groups, President Clinton last
week waived those provisions, citing national security concerns. The
waiver comes as Colombia's war continues. Earlier this week, left-wing
rebel groups and right-wing paramilitaries staged attacks on civilians
like these. In all, more than 35,000 people, mostly civilians, have
died in this war, which has been intertwined with turf battles over
drug production. In a speech aired last night on Colombian television,
Mr. Clinton said the aid package is not intended to escalate the war
against the rebels. 
ALFONSO
CANO, FARC spokesman (translated): We reject the military intervention
that sides with one side of the balance in our country. That is why
we do not want Clinton to come. That is why we reject the presence of
Clinton.