Pubdate: Mon, 16 Oct 2000
Source: Financial Times (UK)
Copyright: The Financial Times Limited 2000
Contact:  1 Southwark Bridge, London, SE1 9HL, UK
Fax: +44 171 873 3922
Website: http://www.ft.com/
Author: James Wilson
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/latin.htm Colombia clippings

COLOMBIAN GROUPS TO REVIEW US ANTI-DRUGS PLAN

Colombian civic groups will this week renew efforts to soften the impact of 
a US-backed anti-drug strategy that many fear is likely to escalate the 
country's long-running civil conflict.

A meeting of government officials, guerrillas, civil representatives and 
international delegates, starting in Costa Rica on Monday, will also call 
on armed groups to improve an abysmal record of respect for human rights.

The talks are being welcomed as a chance to enlarge the scope of peace 
talks in Colombia, after criticism that existing negotiations between the 
government and leftwing rebels are excluding wider debate.

Opponents of Plan Colombia - the government's peace and development plan, 
to which the US is contributing around $1.3bn of mainly counter-drugs aid - 
will press for a reduction of the military side of the plan.

Ana Teresa Bernal, national co-ordinator of Colombia's Redepaz network of 
peace groups, called the meeting "a starting point to revise the strategies 
of Plan Colombia".

However, there are few expectations that the three-day gathering will bring 
a rapid breakthrough that will help the slow-moving official peace 
negotiations.

The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), the largest guerrilla 
group, said last week it would not attend, although efforts were continuing 
to secure its participation. The smaller National Liberation Army (ELN) is 
expected to send delegates.

Many of the Colombian civic groups taking part believe Plan Colombia is 
causing both the guerrilla movements and the government to harden their 
positions in the conflict, and fear an escalation of fighting.

They also harbour doubts that the government will deliver on promises not 
to fumigate illegal drug crops grown by peasants. Under Plan Colombia, 
these farmers are supposed to be weaned onto alternative means of economic 
support.

If President Andres Pastrana's government were to soften elements of Plan 
Colombia, it could help to win over sceptical European nations. The 
European Union is due to reconsider Colombia's request for aid for the 
peace process later this month.

European countries have pressed Mr Pastrana's administration to "adopt an 
inclusive approach" to non-governmental organisations, according to one 
diplomat.

Despite emphasising human rights, the Costa Rica talks are also unlikely to 
bring firm commitments from rebel groups to abandon tactics such as 
kidnapping and massacres of civilians. Such acts have brought widespread 
and repeated international repudiation, but so far without any let-up in 
their use.

Public discontent with the limited progress in peace talks has not so far 
pushed any of the participants to make dramatic concessions, such as an 
agreement to exchange prisoners.

Pressure for a prisoner swap has grown in recent days after television 
images were shown of captive police and soldiers being held behind barbed 
wire in Farc-controlled jungle camps. 
- ---
MAP posted-by: Thunder