"The best Plan Colombia ever"

There's hardly a dull moment when it comes to Colombian politics. First, this week President Uribe has been working to free from prison approximately 150 members of the FARC (see #35), a leftist insurgency determined to overthrow the Colombian government. Second, the U.S. Congress is debating a proposal to alter the way foreign aid is given to Colombia. The goal of this new proposal is to create the best Plan Colombia ever.

What is Plan Colombia?

Since 2000, the United States has provided anti-drug and anti-terrorism support to the government of Colombia through "Plan Colombia" at an expense of over $5 billion. The aid package has primarily consisted of military aid and drug-eradication assistance (80%) in addition to funding for humanitarian assistance (20%). This week, Congress has proposed reducing the percentage of military assistance to approximately 65% and increasing the level of humanitarian aid to 35%. The new Plan Colombia would increase aid for much needed alternative development projects as well as for programs intended to promote democracy, assist communities displaced by the conflict, and help demobilize paramilitaries and guerrillas.

Why the change of heart?

This new stance by Congress appears to be connected to two recent and unsavory revelations: First, a recent White House report suggests that Colombia is not actually winning the "war on drugs." According to a report released by the White House this week, coca production has increased steadily over the past few years despite massive (and expensive) efforts to eradicate the illicit crop used for the production of cocaine. Second, recent reports also suggest that President Uribe and his administration have maintained close ties with the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC), an illegal armed group that appears on the U.S. State Department's list of foreign terrorist organizations (See #42).

Colombia's "Narco-Bubble"

Over the past year, the Colombian peso (COP) has increased in value more against the U.S. dollar than any other currency in the world. President Uribe argues that Colombia is winning the war on drugs, pointing out that the country has dismantled paramilitaries, weakened guerrillas, and reduced the narco-economy, however economic indicators tell a different story. The growing strength of the COP has seriously hurt the country’s exports and job market. And despite Uribe's claims of winning the drug war, the Financial Times reports that the steady rise in the peso is due to a massive influx of dollars from narco-trafficking.

The "new" Plan Colombia

In my view, the "new" Plan Colombia will directly assist those working to strengthen the Colombian peace process. First, funding for alternative development projects is needed by those whose primary source of income comes from the cultivation of illicit crops. Without these crops, many have no other livelihood options and therefore are resistant to giving up this guaranteed source of income. Second, the new Plan would provide much needed funding support for Colombia’s strained judicial system. The system currently burdened by the task of investigating and prosecuting thousands of demobilized paramilitaries and guerrillas. The funding would permit the hiring of much needed judges, prosecutors, and investigators to prosecute those individuals bearing the greatest responsibility for serious violations of international humanitarian law.

Based on my recent conversations with the prosecutors office, investigators conducting exhumations often are forced to take public transportation (taxis and buses) to the grave locations because they lack vehicles of their own. These are often in isolated areas controlled by paramilitaries or guerrillas where the security situation tends to get "a bit complicated." The fact that investigators must resort to using public transportation exposes them to greater security risks that could be mitigated by having access to their own private vehicles. It appears that the new Plan Colombia will provide much needed financial support for such purchases.