As Colombia widens the campaign against narco-guerrillas, its neighbours fear that success could mean instability for the region.

Colombia's growing efforts to combat guerrilla insurgents and drug cartels, backed by increasing amounts of US financing and equipment, are renewing concerns among its South American neighbours that the struggle could translate into regional instability.

South American nations for some time have said they believe Colombia's escalating insurgency and drugs war are problems that should be addressed internally. This view stems largely from a broad distrust of US military operations in the region as well as the belief that increased US involvement in the quagmire will force guerrillas and drug traffickers to expand their operations into neighbouring countries.

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