U.S. Support for Plan Colombia: An Alternative Approach
Abstract
The U.S. $1.3 billion support package for Plan Colombia is a positive sign of our commitment to stabilizing Colombia's faltering democracy and reducing the flow of illegal drugs into our nation. However, to have a reasonable chance of success, the support plan needs significant modification. Drug interdiction efforts in Colombia, must first be preceded by the government regaining control of its sovereign territory and strengthening its civil institutions. U.S. policy makers should recognize that the Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC), the Army of National Liberation (ELN), and right-wing paramilitary groups present the greatest obstacle to achieving democracy and stability in Colombia. Successfully negotiating with or combating these organizations will require a more professional, capable Colombian military. U.S. support efforts should focus on assisting Colombia with developing this force. The U.S. should use the successful operations in El Salvador in the 1980's as a model for assisting Colombia. Assigning training teams to selected Colombian military and CNP units to facilitate training programs, assist in planning operations, and monitor respect for human rights would gready improve the effectiveness of U.S. support. Finally, the U.S. should develop and implement a more coherent interagency and combined regional strategy for coping with drug trafficking. Adoption of these measures would greafly improve the probability of achieving U.S. counter-drug policy objectives.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 30, 2001
- Accession Number
- ADA389631
Entities
People
- Wade Owens
Organizations
- Naval War College