Pubdate: Fri, 08 Jun 2007 Source: Miami Herald (FL) Copyright: 2007 The Miami Herald Contact: http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/262 Author: Peter DeShazo COLOMBIA DESERVES U.S. SUPPORT President Alvaro Uribe of Colombia is visiting Washington again this week -- to urge U.S. support for a bilateral trade agreement and for continued U.S. aid to his country. His efforts should not be necessary because support for Colombia is in the national interest of the United States. Colombia has been the largest recipient of U.S. aid in Latin America since the Clinton administration provided a special assistance package to support democracy and to counter the threat posed to that country by illegal drugs -- which fueled the insurgent groups, paramilitaries, and criminal gangs. Progress has been impressive. Colombia's armed forces and police have rolled back the power of the insurgents and paramilitaries, establishing a permanent government presence in every municipality of Colombia for the first time. The security situation is much better: Homicides, kidnappings, terrorist attacks, massacres and forced displacements have fallen sharply. The steep rise in coca and opium poppy cultivation that took place during the 1990s was halted and then reversed, keeping billions of dollars out of the hands of criminals and illegal armed groups. 'Justice And Peace' Law Following negotiations with paramilitary leaders and by means of a "Justice and Peace" law, the Uribe government achieved the demobilization of some 30,000 paramilitaries. Under this law, demobilized fighters are liable to criminal prosecution for crimes and drug trafficking and are subject to asset forfeiture. Talks aimed at disbanding the insurgent ELN group are underway. The improved security environment in Colombia has fueled strong economic growth. Last year Colombia signed a trade promotion agreement with the U.S. that will benefit both countries. Economic growth creates more jobs in the legitimate economy, undercutting the lure of the drug sector. Both the Clinton and Bush administrations understood that stability in Colombia is a key factor in regional security, with profound implications for the United States. But bipartisan support for Colombia is melting. Critics of the Uribe government in Congress have held up approval of the bilateral trade agreement, focusing on the issue of labor rights in Colombia, which they claim are inadequate and on the unsolved murders of Colombian trade union members. Uribe critics also call into question continued U.S. assistance to Colombia, pointing to human rights problems and past ties between important pro-Uribe political figures and paramilitary groups. There is no question that serious human rights problems remain in Colombia, but the situation has steadily improved. While most violations are perpetrated by illegally armed groups, government security forces were still responsible for multiple extrajudicial killings during 2006. The government of Colombia must continue to give highest-priority attention to human rights, but the U.S. must also recognize the clearly positive trend in recent years. Colombia's hard-pressed judicial system has been further challenged by the paramilitary demobilization process. There is much concern that demobilized "paras" could turn to crime and drug trafficking, putting pressure on the Uribe government to effectively monitor their activities. But demobilization has taken thousands of fighters off the books and resulted in lower levels of violence. It should be no surprise to anybody familiar with Colombian history that ties have existed between the paramilitaries and the armed forces and political class. Since taking office in 2002, however, President Uribe made it clear that he would not tolerate collusion between paramilitaries and the armed forces and has taken steps to cashier those who disobeyed. The demobilization of paramilitaries has generated a flood of information regarding their illegal activities, including ties to politicians, and Colombia's independent attorney general is following up with legal action against them. Revelations of ties between some pro-Uribe politicians and paramilitaries, rather than a black mark against the President, instead demonstrate that Uribe is serious about countering the threat posed by the "paras." Trade Good For The U.S., Too Finally, rejection of the trade agreement with Colombia will not improve the situation of workers in that country or strengthen democracy, but instead will limit Colombia's attractiveness for needed investment and set back economic growth. It would also drive a wedge between the United States and one of its best friends in Latin America and send a profoundly negative signal to the rest of the Americas of U.S. disinterest in the region, lending credence to those such as Hugo Chavez who preach an anti-U.S. message. Colombia deserves U.S. support, and it is in the national interest of the United States to provide it. - ----------------------------------- Peter DeShazo is director of the Americas Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. He was formerly deputy assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs. - --- MAP posted-by: Steve Heath