Pubdate: Mon, 16 Nov 1998
Source: Chicago Tribune (IL)
Section: Sec. 1
Copyright: 1998 Chicago Tribune Company
Contact:  http://www.chicagotribune.com/
Author: Eric Farnsworth, Former White House policy adviser, Senior Adviser,
Manatt, Phelps & Phillips LLP

IT'S AN ENTIRELY NEW GAME IN COLOMBIA

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Not long ago, many Americans' perceptions of Latin
America revolved around images of drug training, human rights abuses,
anti-democratic leaders, and guerrilla insurgences.

Now, open-market democracy is the norm. Human rights are generally
respected. And even though significant problems remain, the United
States is now turning to its Latin American partners--rather than
turning on them--to seize opportunities while working to solve those
problems that continue to exist.

Nowhere is this promise truer than in Colombia. On Oct. 28, President
Clinton welcomed Colombia's new president, Andres Pastrana, to the
White House for an official state visit--a remarkable turnaround from
the previous government of Ernesto Samper, whose U.S. visa had been
revoked.

The election of the new Pastrana government is a watershed event in
Colombia's recent history, a strong affirmation by the people of
Colombia of the democratic process and an equally strong rejection of
the guerrilla violence, narco-corruption and human rights abuses of
the past.

As a former journalist, for example, President Pastrana has spoken out
on the need to improve Colombia's abysmal record of violence against
journalists and freedom of the press.

The U.S. government clearly has a vested interest in supporting
Colombia's ongoing transition. More mature bilateral relations are a
critical piece of the overall puzzle of hemispheric foreign policy,
and concrete steps have already been taken by both sides.

Within the context of a new partnership, President Clinton recently
pledged more than $280 million in new assistance to Colombia, more
than doubling last year's amount.

The two presidents signed an Alliance Against Drugs, a comprehensive
effort targeted at the illegal drugs trade, and established a
high-level Joint Consultative Group to address bilateral issues and to
consult on the nascent peace process, which President Pastrana has
personally begun with the guerrillas. But absent concrete achievements
in the near to midterm, it will be difficult to sustain such optimism.

Colombia's two guerrilla groups have operated for decades in the
sparsely populated rural areas of Colombia. They are resourceful and
self-sufficient, even if they lack a coherent ideology.

It's unclear, despite the best intentions of the Pastrana government
and the international community, what incentive the guerrillas really
have to lay down their weapons and join the political debate like the
Salvadoran or Guatemalan guerrillas did. Until they do, left-wing
guerrillas and right-wing paramilitaries will continue the killing.

It is also unclear whether the new government will be able to
prosecute successfully both the war on drugs and the civil war. If it
can't, it will likely emphasize its fight against the guerrillas.

But because drugs are the sine qua non of the "comprehensive
partnership" from the U.S. perspective, it will then remain to be seen
whether cracks will begin to appear in the relationship with the U.S.,
and whether it will keep trying to micromanage Latin political decisions.

Under President Pastrana, Colombia has begun a new course. The trick
will be to turn the impressive words spoken during his visit into
equally impressive deeds.

For its part, the U.S. will have to demonstrate the patience, and the
good sense, to help Colombia's new government succeed.
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Checked-by: Patrick Henry