cannabisnews.com: New Drug Plan Shifts Focus in Latin America





New Drug Plan Shifts Focus in Latin America
Posted by FoM on May 17, 2001 at 13:01:19 PT
By Christopher Marquis
Source: New York Times
After criticism that American anti-narcotics policy in South America relies too heavily on military aid to Colombia, the Bush administration proposed a more regional approach today that would emphasize economic development and cultivation of legal crops.The new program does not cancel the $1.3 billion program, known as Plan Colombia, to help the Colombian military battle narcotics growers and traffickers, But officials said the new aid would not allow Colombia's security forces to acquire additional military equipment or finance a greater role for the American advisers in Colombia beyond what is provided in the existing program.
The new package, which still must be approved by Congress, would effectively reorient United States counternarcotics spending in Latin America, providing $882 million to seven countries over several years. And it would strike an equal balance between drug interdiction efforts and addressing the social and economic conditions that give rise to drug production.Administration officials conceded that the change in spending priorities resulted in part from criticism in Congress and the news media of the Clinton policy to give the bulk of the anti-narcotics funds to Colombia for military aid. Under that program, the United States pledged to provide 16 Blackhawk helicopters and to train and equip three counternarcotics battalions in the Colombian Army. Skeptics of Plan Colombia have voiced fears that the United States might be drawn into a protracted military conflict as Colombia struggles with two guerrilla insurgencies and right-wing paramilitary groups in addition to drug traffickers. The critics also worried about the Colombian military's poor human rights record and warned that the American-backed military incursion into southern Colombia could force the combat and corruption to spill into other nations."We heard all of the criticism and comments of the past year," said William Brownfield, the deputy assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs. Under the initiative, Colombia would still be the largest recipient of American aid, receiving $399 million, or 45 percent. But about half of that money would go to programs of the United States Agency for International Development to reform the judicial sector, improve the efficiency of local governments and induce farmers in the south to shift to legal crops.The administration's package, which is to be parceled out over several years, calls for spending half of the money on security assistance — including interdiction and eradication efforts — and half on economic and social development, Mr. Brownfield said.The package includes aid for Washington's traditional drug war allies: Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador and Venezuela. But it also includes $26.1 million for Brazil and $20.5 million for Panama, both of which have increasingly seen their border areas used by Colombian guerrillas and traffickers. Bolivia is scheduled to receive $143.5 million and Ecuador $76.5 million.Peru stands to receive $163.7 million for social programs in addition to $77 million in security aid. About one-third of the development spending would be put toward reducing poverty by helping small businesses and improving health services.The government of President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela is to receive $10 million in security aid. Mr. Chávez, an ardent nationalist, has irritated American officials by refusing to allow their anti-narcotics flights to overfly his nation.Even as he extolled the new approach, Mr. Brownfield said the Bush administration remained committed to Plan Colombia and its military objective to force drug-financed rebels into peace negotiations. He acknowledged that the United States was able to turn its attention to support for regional development and crop substitution largely because it had already financed the "big ticket" items Colombians required. Some analysts suggested, moreover, that the initiative might reflect Colombia's limited capacity to absorb the American aid already in the pipeline. Still, some drug-policy experts who had criticized the Clinton administration's emphasis on military spending welcomed what they said was a more comprehensive approach that addresses the problems underlying drug production and seeks to bolster Colombia's neighbors."This seems to be an appropriate investment in these neighboring countries to resist this spillover effect," said Stephen Flynn, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and a critic of Plan Colombia.Juan Orduz, a spokesman for the Colombian Embassy in Washington, said the money would help the government of President Andrés Pastrana integrate areas in Colombia, like Putumayo Province, that have long been marginalized by the central government and become a major source of drugs. "This fight is not only a matter of eradicating and interdicting drugs," he said. "You must give farmers a livelihood and the means to take their products out of the region."Source: New York Times (NY)Author: Christopher MarquisPublished: May 17, 2001Copyright: 2001 The New York Times CompanyContact: letters nytimes.comWebsite: http://www.nytimes.com/Forum: http://forums.nytimes.com/comment/Related Articles:Colombia Drug War Newshttp://www.freedomtoexhale.com/colombia.htm Senators Worry Pentagon May Retreat in Drug War http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread9742.shtmlDrug Policy Crossroads http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread9684.shtml
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Comment #7 posted by kaptinemo on May 18, 2001 at 11:18:12 PT:
The Fourth Reich 
alias the NWO. The CFR. The Bildergergers. The Royal Institute for International Studies. And all the associated organizations. The extremely, insanely wealthy, who gained their wealth literally from the deaths of millions, now seek to claim the Big Brass Ring: global economic (and therefore, social) domination via control of every resource vital to the sustenance of civilization. Including licit and illicit drugs.Sudaca has 'em pegged, perfectly.
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Comment #6 posted by dddd on May 18, 2001 at 09:41:55 PT
unreal
That's the perfect word for this Sudaca....UNREALI dont know which part is more shocking;;;the money part,or the blatant buyout takeover fiasco scam to use the money for a financial invasion of S.A.,,,so the oil monster co-conspiraterunderground shrub club,,,can suck 'em dry of 'Texas Tea',,,,,Black Gold,,that is".We have absolutely no excuse for doing this,,,,besides pure world domination evil.It's the new and improved Evil Empire,the uncle Sam version.......Makes those Soviets look like rookies.It really is,quite breathtaking,and spectacular to think that they are goingto do this,,with all this additional money,,,it will happen!...and no one will really say much,,as the "rolling blackouts",,,mysteriouslystart happening in other states,and all of a sudden,electricity is reallyexpensive....seems like everyone scoffed at California,,the story wasthat all of a sudden them damn crazy energy guzzlin Californians,,deregulated,and now theres no power,,,,and of course there's gasoline....All of a sudden,the media is saying we "neglected to build new refineries"....so that all of a suddenmakes gas really expensive,,,meanwhile,,the shrub just keeps doing more and morespectacular things every week...the oilhogs cant wait to fire up the money pumps,,andstart doin' some serious gorging at the trough....If you thought the Clinton presidency was great,,,,,you aint seen nuthin' yet.....these good old boys are gonna party for the full four years........it aint pretty....................dddd
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Comment #5 posted by Sudaca on May 18, 2001 at 09:00:36 PT
THe militarization of America
This is unreal. " After criticism that American anti-narcotics policy in South America relies too heavily on military aid to Colombia, the Bush administration proposed a more regional approach today that would emphasize economic development and cultivation of legal crops."So, because people have realized that the US is throwing away its money in Colombia, the answer is to throw away more money in the rest of South America?This is bullshit. South American countries don't want more U.S. military involvment or crop substitution or any other sort of 'program'. What most of these countries' leaders want from the U.S. is investment, credit, money to help them develop their business and extend it towards the world market. For the sake of the promise of more money, some countries will actually let the wolf in the door. What the Bushites are doing is establishing a solid war based economy once again. Get the oil in S.A, get rid of surplus military equipment at great prices, generate busines for pals and so forth. An who pays for this? The Taxpayers of the United States of America. Yeah, that 30% of your salary is going away to fund the fourth reich. 
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Comment #4 posted by Rambler on May 18, 2001 at 03:00:54 PT
SERIOUS MONEY!
A million here,Ten million there,  Ya got that right Ed,This issome damn serious money!Let's look at what it will be spent on:>"Peru stands to receive $163.7 million for social programs in addition to $77 million in security aid. About one-third of the development spending would be put toward reducing poverty by helping small businesses and improving health services.">" $26.1 million for Brazil and $20.5 million for Panama, both of which have increasingly seen their borderareas used by Colombian guerrillas and traffickers. Bolivia is scheduled to receive $143.5 million and Ecuador $76.5 million.">"Under the initiative, Colombia would still be the largest recipient of American aid, receiving $399 million, or 45 percent. But about half of that money would go to programs of the United States Agency for International Development to reform the judicial sector, improve the efficiency of local governments and induce farmers in the south to shift to legal crops."Is it just me,or is this F#*KING OUTRAGEOUS?  Especially,when you consider this is in addition to the 1.9 Billion for plan Colombia,which if I remember correctly,was supposed to include millions for farmers.What the hell are we doing spending 200 million to "reform the juduicial sector"?"Social programs"?"77 million in security aid"?From my point of view,this is beyond belief.How does this fit in with the American people?Is this the type of shit we pay taxes for? 
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Comment #3 posted by Ed Carpenter on May 18, 2001 at 02:30:56 PT:
 New Drug Plan Shifts Focus in Latin America
A $million here, a $million there; pretty soon you've got some serious money...
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Comment #2 posted by dddd on May 17, 2001 at 19:29:02 PT
Time to Wake Up!
 When I first read this article in the times,I was numbstruck.I am astonished at how they are getting away with this shit!Thisis an absurd,Alice in Wonderland bad dream!.....Where are theAmerican people?Who gave these mad hatters the mandate to dumpmillions more tax dollars into the black hole of Latin America?Isthere some poll,or outcry from the people that I missed?...........This is criminal chicanery,and there's nothing you can do to stop it.It will happen.we might slow it down,but this bush gang be da kingof da hood.This government is starting to look like some strangeKingdom of imperial overlords............it aint pretty..............dddd
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Comment #1 posted by wades on May 17, 2001 at 19:09:29 PT:
Striking an equal balance
When will these fools learn to pay attention to the simple laws of supply and demand?The day they decide to spend enough on crop substitution to subsidize the farmers at a rate that will make growing banannas or whatever as profitable as opium poppies or coca, that will be the day when crop substitution works to reduce supply. An "equal balance" would thus involve spending a thousand or so times as much on agricultural aid as on eradication efforts.I'm not holding my breath.
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