Ambitious Antidrug Plan For Colombia Is Faltering
|
|
Three months since the United States approved a huge aid package for Colombia, the overarching $7.5 billion plan to stabilize that nation and thwart its guerrilla movements and drug traffickers is already showing signs of disarray, officials and experts say. European nations have balked at providing donations to help Colombia address its social problems, Latin American leaders are voicing concerns about creeping United States militarism and the government of President Andres Pastrana has been reluctant to promote the plan at home or to dedicate funds to it, American officials concede. In a report to Congress this week, the General Accounting Office said ”the Colombian government has not demonstrated it has the detailed plans, management structure and funding necessary” to meet the plan’s goals, and international financial support from beyond the United States ”has yet to materialize.” Mr. Pastrana announced the so-called Plan Colombia as an initiative of his government a year ago. But the skepticism it has met reflects a concern abroad that the plan was drafted by the United States as a way to ease its own drug crisis and not as a coherent strategy to lift Colombia from a quagmire involving two guerrilla insurgencies, right-wing death squads, a faltering economy and a crisis of confidence in government. ”They see it as something that was cooked up in Washington,” said Michael Shifter, a senior fellow at the Inter-American Dialogue, a forum for leaders from the hemisphere. ”If other countries saw this was moving in the direction of being more responsive to Colombian concerns, they would support it.” Mr. Pastrana set a goal of reducing the coca cultivation and distribution of Colombian narcotics by 50 percent over six years. Pledging $4 billion in Colombian funds to the effort, he asked for an additional $3.5 billion from the United States, Europe and multilateral lenders in order to advance Colombia’s peace efforts, promote economic development and judicial reform and fight drug traffickers. The Clinton administration in July approved $1.3 billion in mostly military aid to Colombia — including more than a dozen Black Hawk helicopters — to help the Colombian Army strike into southern territories under the control of drug traffickers and guerrillas. American officials acknowledge the plan cannot succeed without international support for the ‘’softer” programs to raise Colombians’ living standards and provide alternatives to drug trafficking and war. But European nations so far have failed to pledge funds at hoped-for levels. At a donor’s conference in Madrid in July, Spain promised to contribute $100 million, and Norway pledged $20 million. The United Nations promised $131 million, and Japan and international lending institutions offered $70 million and $300 million in loans, respectively. Europe, which is the second-largest consumer of Colombian narcotics, after the United States, is still considering its role and may announce additional funds at a followup to the Madrid conference on Oct. 24., diplomats said. But one European envoy said the European Union has no intention of supporting Plan Colombia. ”The E.U. and member states are supporting the peace process in Colombia and not specifically the Plan Colombia, which is an American project,” the envoy said. Although the Clinton administration has portrayed Plan Colombia as Mr. Pastrana’s work, much of it was drafted by American officials, according to people familiar with its preparation. More : query.nytimes.com |