U.S. and Colombian Counterdrug Efforts: Strategies At Odds
Abstract
Despite the increased involvement of U.S. assistance, illegal shipments of drugs originating from Colombia are more available in the United States than ever before. According to 1999 figures, imports of nearly 400 metric tons of cocaine, 90 percent of Colombian origin, and 75 percent of the heroin seized by U.S. officials on the East Coast is from Colombia. This massive amount of cocaine feeds the habit of 12 million drug users in the United States, contributes to 52,000 drug-related deaths per year, and leads to economic costs of $110 billion dollars a year for health care, public safety, and the loss of productivity. Colombia's illegal drug trade constitutes a national security threat. To confront this threat emanating from Colombia, the Clinton administration's drug strategy has placed counterdrugs as a primary focus of the U.S.-Colombian relationship. In February 2000, the Clinton Administration requested a supplemental bill of an additional $1.6 billion over the next three years. Each year the U.S. contributes more and more to the Colombian government to fight the drug war and each year there are more and more drugs flowing from Colombia. It should be painfully obvious that until Colombia is able to deal with its internal war with the guerillas, it will never be able to successfully wage a war against the narco-traffickers, especially when in many cases they are one and the same. The Marxist-Leninist guerrillas have expanded significantly over the past decade as a result of a stable and lucrative source of financing its activities-the drug trade. The guerrillas extract protection money from coca growers and the operators of clandestine landing fields and laboratories, along with kidnappings. Between 65 to 70 percent of the guerrilla war chest comes from extortion and protection of drug activities. Colombia's armed forces have been losing ground to the estimated 20,000 Marxist guerrillas who effectively control large chunks of rural Colombia.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 17, 2000
- Accession Number
- ADA377669
Entities
People
- Vincent T. Taylor
Organizations
- United States Army War College