cannabisnews.com: Colombia's 'Drug War'





Colombia's 'Drug War'
Posted by FoM on January 26, 1999 at 05:56:22 PT

In the Jan. 12 editorial "Battles in the Drug War," The Post erred in stating that the decline in coca cultivation in Peru and Bolivia is due in part to a policy of aerial spraying. Neither Peru nor Bolivia uses aerial spraying as a means to eradicate illicit coca crops. The only country in the hemisphere that does is Colombia -- and there, U.S. anti-drug policy has been a spectacular failure. 
Colombia is by far the largest recipient of U.S. antidrug funding, totaling almost $1 billion to date. Yet over the past decade, drug production in Colombia has risen an estimated 260 percent, and coca production has more than tripled, making Colombia the world's leading producer. Only five years ago, no heroin was produced in Colombia. The country now ranks third in the world in poppy cultivation and fourth in heroin production.U.S. antidrug policy in Latin America is fundamentally wrong. The greatest successes occur in countries where the United States invests the least. Those countries unlucky enough to receive the brunt of U.S. attention and investment experience dramatic setbacks. The "successes" of Peru and Bolivia should serve as a wake-up call to U.S. officials who advocate spending more money and spraying more chemicals in the fight against drugs. The Post is correct, however, in arguing that the American approach to the drug war needs to be reviewed. There is no silver bullet. Reducing drug abuse in the United States requires long-term solutions, including promoting respect for human rights and democracy and strengthening civilian law enforcement and judicial institutions in source countries.LAURIE FREEMANWashingtonThe writer is program assistant for the Andes in the Washington Office on Latin America.In the editorial "Battles in the Drug War," The Post suggests that U.S. policy toward Colombia needs to be reviewed. I hope that the Clinton administration follows that advice and undertakes a review. But it should keep in mind that Colombia is home to the largest humanitarian crisis in the Western Hemisphere.More than 1.3 million Colombians have become refugees in their own land, forced from their homes, farms and villages by a vicious war between right-wing paramilitary squads, left-wing guerrillas and the Colombian military.The Clinton administration's response to this situation has been paltry. While we will spend $289 million to assist armed forces with a bad reputation for abuse of human rights, only $2 million has been allocated for specific programs to help the "internal refugees" of Colombia.Instead of sending more arms, the United States should significantly increase its development assistance to help farmers grow crops other than coca. It also should increase humanitarian assistance through nongovernmental organizations to help the displaced help themselves. Finally, President Clinton should engage the moral and political force of the U.S. government to help Colombia's new President Andreas Pastrana and support his peace efforts. It is a comprehensive strategy such as this that will help restore Colombia to the peaceful, democratic country it once was and at the same time reduce the supply of coca for export.
Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help




Post Comment


Name: Optional Password: 
E-Mail: 
Subject: 
Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message]
Link URL: 
Link Title: