Plan Colombia

Gustavo Dominguez
Issue: The Implementation of Plan Colombia: Problems, Effects, and Recommendations
Background
The Government of Colombia has developed a multi-year, comprehensive strategy designed to bring about lasting peace by reducing the production of illegal drugs, revitalizing the economy, and strengthening government institutions. This is known as Plan Colombia. But Plan Colombia alsoseeks to fulfill a peace agreement, probably the most important of the four main objectives of the plan. However, this objective will remain allusive as long as the rebel groups maintain an unlimited source of funding from drug trafficking.1
The current Colombian conflict started at the beginning of the 20th century. The conflict became an armed political clash over forty years ago with theappearance of two major leftist insurgent groups: FARC (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia), and ELN (Ejército de Liberación Nacional). More recently, in 1980, violent rightist paramilitary groups emerged as a consequence of an escalation of the leftist guerrilla movements; the most important one is the AUC (Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia).
1 Plan Colombia: The Roadmap for Peace, Embassy ofColombia, Washington, http://www.colombiaemb.org/opencms/opencms/plancolombia/
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All these groups are the result of a violent political environment, a decadent political system, historical social injustice, and a lack of equitable land reforms. Nevertheless, these are the central issues to help understand the long lasting clash between the insurgence movements and the government of Colombia,another important element to the war is the links between the guerrilla movements and the contra military factions with the narcotic-industry, and the kidnapping of national and foreigner civil citizens.2
IMPLEMENTATION
In September 1999, the government of Colombia led by President Andres Pastrana, met with President Clinton to seek U.S. support for the “Plan Colombia”. Mr. Pastrana presentedhis plan as a strategy to fulfill a long lasting peace, combat drug trafficking, revitalize the Colombian economy, and reform and strengthening of government institutions. The “Plan Colombia” as presented needed $7.5 billion to accomplish its financial needs. Colombia intended to supply $4 billion and was in search for international aid to budget the $3.5 additional billion.
In July 2000, PresidentClinton approved a two-year US $1.3 billion aid package to fight the "war on drugs" in Colombia. The plan was intended to aid the Colombian government in wiping out half of the 300,000 acres of coca fields by 2005. Billed as a "balanced package," the plan promised “Five Components of U.S. Assistance.” U.S. assistance has five components as follows:
2 Colombia: Political tools and coercive force,April 3, 2007, Gustavo Dominguez 2

I. II. III. IV . V.
Support for Human rights and Judicial Reform. Expansion of Counter-Narcotic Operations. Alternative Economic Development. Interdiction.
Assistance for the Colombian National Police.
I. Support for Human Rights and Judicial Reform.
The total U.S. interagency assistance package provides $122 million for a broad range of human rights,judicial reform, and other programs designed to support the peace process and to strengthen democracy and the rule of law in Colombia. Specific initiatives include protecting nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) concerned with human rights ($4 million); strengthening human rights institutions ($7 million); establishing human rights units within the Colombian National Police (CNP) and the Colombianattorney general's office ($25 million); training judges and prosecutors ($7.5 million); and providing funding to train and support Colombian law enforcement personnel in anti- corruption, anti-money laundering, and anti-kidnapping measures. 7
The government of Colombia is aware that the only way to fight a war under disadvantageous conditions is developing strong institutions that are capable...