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Helping Colombia is in our national interest

Posted on Tue, May. 22, 2007

Helping Colombia is in our national interest

BY JOHN D. NEGROPONTE

A decade ago, Colombia teetered on the brink of disintegration. Terrorist groups were taking thousands of citizens hostage. Unfettered drug trafficking was threatening core institutions and the basic cohesion of the state. As I saw first-hand earlier this month on a visit to Colombia, the picture today is strikingly different: A democratically elected government is making great strides in curbing violence and drug trafficking. It has restored the integrity of the state and taken the fight to the terrorists and traffickers themselves. Colombia's rebirth is one of Latin America's success stories.
This progress is due to the courage and industry of Colombia's people and its leaders, especially President Alvaro Uribe. It is also due to our faith in their efforts. Beginning in 2000, President Clinton, with strong bipartisan Congressional backing, committed $1.3 billion to Plan Colombia -- the country's road map in its fight for drug-free development. President Bush committed another $3.4 billion from 2001-2006.

Now President Bush proposes an additional $590 million in his fiscal year 2008 budget request to the Congress to fund the next stage of Plan Colombia. The government of Colombia will pay for the vast majority of the costs with its own funds, but continued U.S. and international support is essential.

Joint U.S.-Colombian funding is paying dividends for a more peaceful Colombia. Exponential growth in Colombia's cocaine production has been stopped. In 2006 alone, combined eradication and interdiction efforts kept approximately 550 U.S. tons of cocaine off U.S. streets. In the past five years, the security situation has improved remarkably, with kidnappings reduced by 76 percent, terror attacks down by 61 percent and homicides down by 40 percent. Colombia has extradited more than 475 drug traffickers to the United States to stand trial. These achievements give Colombians renewed hope that their children will grow up to have better lives. They also benefit everyone in this country, where cocaine has ruined thousands of American lives.

The improved security situation also has led to rapid economic growth and new opportunities for the people of Colombia. Economic growth averaged about 5 percent during the past four years, while the number of Colombians living in poverty dropped by more than 8 percent. U.S. assistance reached 81,000 small farmers and contributed to more than 1,100 infrastructure projects.

Much remains to be done. Colombia must still fight against illegal armed groups -- one of which, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) has held three U.S. citizens hostage for four years. Criminal groups must be prevented from filling the vacuum left by the demobilization of paramilitaries.

The vulnerable must be protected, including labor leaders, those displaced by conflict and Afro-Colombians. There can be no tolerance for complicity with drug trafficking or paramilitarism, and there must be no shelter or impunity for those who break the law. The government must fully implement the Justice and Peace Process to bring the truth to light and achieve national reconciliation.

President Uribe knows his government must address the charge that it has been negligent in pursuing corruption in its counter-narcotics programs. He has pursued necessary reforms with determination. As information has come from demobilized fighters, he has ordered full investigations of all alleged ties between the government and paramilitaries. He must continue this effort and punish those who have abused the law.

In addition to extending Plan Colombia, President Bush has asked Congress to approve a free-trade agreement with Colombia this year. If passed, an FTA would further investment and growth and help more Colombians climb out of poverty. If Congress does not act, the conflict in Colombia is likely to intensify, undermining years of bilateral effort that are finally paying off. That would be a tragedy, particularly at a critical moment in defining the future U.S. role in the Americas. An FTA with Colombia, as well as Peru and Panama, will underscore our commitment to help the region's people conquer poverty, achieve social justice and live their lives in peace.

We have been good friends to Colombia. President Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice are committed to helping Colombia accelerate this progress. Significant challenges remain, but the people of Colombia can now envision a much more peaceful future. That is why the United States must reaffirm its support for Colombia and help to make that vision a reality.

http://www.miamiherald.com/851/story/114494.html

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© 2007 Miami Herald Media Company. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.miamiherald.com

By Simon on May 24, 2007, 09:12 in Politics & the war.

Robert Jorge says on May 24, 2007, 09:25:

Good speech. I heard the flow of cocaine has not decreased and that the street price is comparatively low right now. I don't know first hand ... I am not DEA, nor have I personally shopped for coke. But, from other articles and statistics that I have read and come across, I thought the price of cocaine was down, which is a basic indicator that there is a strong supply. Other than that, I liked the speech and it is encouraging.

He who farts in church, sits in his own pew.

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Miguel says on May 24, 2007, 09:36:

Let's give Colombia shitloads of money... If they use it to wipe out the guerilla, the paracos and the stinking corrupt elected officials. And while we are at it. LEGALIZE IT.

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JMCana says on May 24, 2007, 09:40:

Just does not read correctly The whole thing reads too much like a Press Release by Bush Buddies. The writing and rhetoric is too close to things the state department has put out.
So, who is JOHN D. NEGROPONTE? Does he owe anything to GWB?

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Simon says on May 24, 2007, 10:15:

Negroponte is also a former US amabassador to the UN.

"DON'T FOK WITH COLOMBIA!!"-----Simon

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JMCana says on May 24, 2007, 10:34:

Tainted I would not put much faith in what the guys says. His history seems to be clouded.

The following I found on the internet:

"His first diplomatic assignment was to the U.S. embassy in Saigon, South Vietnam during the Vietnam War. From 1971 to 1973, he was the officer-in-charge for Vietnam at the National Security Council"

hmmm - that seemed to be a disaster for the USA.

Next:
"Negroponte's service in Honduras is controversial due to the allegations that he had a vital role in the U.S. effort to overthrow the Marxist Sandinista government Honduras' neighbor, Nicaragua."

Do I see a slight pattern developing?

Then let's see what allegiance he owes Bush:
"President Bush appointed Negroponte as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, a position he held from 2001 to 2004, when the president nominated him as the first U.S. Ambassador to Iraq in the post-Saddam era.

On April 19, 2004, President George W. Bush nominated Negroponte to be the U.S. Ambassador to the new Iraqi government after the scheduled June 30, 2004 handover of sovereignty from the Coalition Provisional Authority"
and
"Negroponte served as the U.S. Ambassador to Iraq from June 2004 to March 2005. On February 17, 2005, President Bush nominated Ambassador Negroponte as the first Director of National Intelligence."

Somehow I believe his credentials show him to not possibly be the most objective. And then it was published in the Miami Herald and not elsewhere. Hmmm - but whose brother is governor of Florida with possible influences in the paper?

Any bets on whether he wrote it on U.S. Taxpayers time?

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JMCana says on May 24, 2007, 10:50:

They need to give PBH'ers a job Tinto, thanks for the update about Jeb. Guess I have been in Colombia too long. But at least I am sure the man has some influence still.

If the government is paying people to write one-sided opinions then they should probably give many of the people on PBH a job. At least the writing would be more floral and interesting, so to say. And to think all of you people are doing it for free.

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JMCana says on May 24, 2007, 10:59:

John and GWB

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aztec says on May 24, 2007, 12:45:

Colombia Warning "As U.S. allies go, we can't get one better than Colombia. It helps us a lot and now seeks free trade. But all it gets from Congress is a slap in the face. We now risk losing a vital ally."

http://www.ibdeditorials.com/IBDArticles.aspx?id=264812410903466

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JMCana says on May 24, 2007, 13:17:

no byline Aztec -the article is similar in many ways to the original post. Interesting that there is no byline.

Hmmm - not one word about the paramilitary in it. Appears that only the "Marxist" are narcoterrorists.

IMO - whoever wrote it sounds like a myopic, frustrated cheap detective novel writer. Quote from the article - ("...from a terrifying hellhole wracked by civil war, drugs, corruption and refugees into a true success story.")

The opening two sentences left me with the impression that his/her wall is covered with framed photos of Uribe. Quote from the article: "President Alvaro Uribe is Colombia's greatest leader since its 1824 independence. His achievements in diminishing a 44-year war and turning Colombia into a free-market garden spot are on a par with Lincoln's and Reagan's."

Ok, who wrote the article?

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juancegomez says on May 24, 2007, 17:55:

JMCana I'm not the biggest fan of endless bashing, but praising Uribe to the Heavens and beyond is definitely too much.

If they were more sincere, they should be willing to talk about the trickier subjects and mention several flaws, at least, instead of just painting an unrealistically rosy picture.

Such extreme kindness seems way too artificial for my liking...

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vladimiro says on May 24, 2007, 19:33:

Negroponte is famous for his claim that he did not know of any human rights abuses in Honduras when he was Ambassodor :)

He's one of America's top thugs.

Wikipedia on Negroponte

"He helped word a secret 1983 presidential "finding" authorizing support for the Contras, as the Nicaraguan rebels were known, and met regularly with Honduran military officials to win and retain their backing for the covert action"

Democracy Now On Negroponte

"As ambassador to Honduras, Negroponte played a key role in coordinating US covert aid to the Contra death squads in Nicaragua and shoring up a CIA-backed death squad in Honduras."

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jctripp says on May 24, 2007, 19:48:

Pimpin' for the Man Anyone ignorant to what this dude represents would be advised to read Greg Palast, Noam Chomsky, etc. He's not a nice guy. His last gig was running the show in Iraq.

Think global, act loco

RiColombia.com | Colombia Culture & Tourism Blog

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elreydelostrolls says on May 24, 2007, 19:57:

In a just world, John Negroponte would be hanging from a tree somewhere with flies buzzing around his lifeless body. He should be forced to eat his own excrement after being disembowelled.

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greg says on May 24, 2007, 20:05:

Agree John Negroponte is scum

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Simon says on May 24, 2007, 22:02:

AWESOME ARTICLE AZTEC!! "President Alvaro Uribe is Colombia's greatest leader since its 1824 independence. His achievements in diminishing a 44-year war and turning Colombia into a free-market garden spot are on a par with Lincoln's and Reagan's."

"In six short years, Uribe has transformed Colombia from a terrifying hellhole wracked by civil war, drugs, corruption and refugees into a true success story."

HELL YEAH!!!

I bet those anti-Uribe idiots, (you know, the ones who blame Uribe more than the FARC for Colombia's ills) just loved that one! Ha ha ha!!!

BTW, Colombia's independence was in 1810, not 1824, but everything else was right on!

"DON'T FOK WITH COLOMBIA!!"-----Simon

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cayita says on May 25, 2007, 04:51:

gee was that the same six years of Plan Colombia? hmmmmmmmmmmmm?

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aztec says on May 25, 2007, 08:24:

Anything written by Noam Chomsky... ...is unmitigated leftest trash!

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juancegomez says on May 25, 2007, 08:33:

aztec I wouldn't go so far, but I'm not a fan of his either. Especially when he talks about subjects far beyond his field of expertise.

But it's not like you need to be either a Chomsky OR Negroponte fan, in any case...

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vladimiro says on May 25, 2007, 18:45:

what kind of help exactly are they talking about 1) Colombia is still the world's main Cocain producer years after "Plan Colombia".

2) For the first time in history rice farmers are sowing poppy seeds right under the AMerican soldiers feet in Iraq.

3)In Afghanistan drug production has sky rocketed under US auspices.

They have tens of thousands of soldiers right next to drug fields and they do nothing. Then they claim they want to fight against drug production? They want to help Colombia? Its noble motive, but like some of their other noble motives you have to wonder if there's some other objective behind it.

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markiev says on Jun 2, 2007, 04:16:

Colombia may be the largest producer of cocaine but it is not the largest grower of coca...I believe that title goes to Bolivia, peru and Ecuador...Colombians are just smart enough to produce the final product and the idiot north americans and europeans are dumb enough to use the product...Supply and demand. And I agree that Uribe is an awesome president and has made a hughe difference in the economy and how colombians view themselves as a peoples....

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Simon says on Jun 6, 2007, 09:07:

"Chomsky is a wasted talent
With his brain, he could have focused on a couple of topics, investigated them thoroughly and presented far better arguments."

Yeah, kind of like pseudo-intellectuals who are addicted to websites about countries they are obsessed with yet have nothing to do with.

Hey, but at least Chomsky is rich and famous!

"DON'T FOK WITH COLOMBIA!!"-----Simon

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Simon says on Jun 6, 2007, 09:13:

"And I agree that Uribe is an awesome president and has made a hughe difference in the economy and how colombians view themselves as a peoples...."

Dude, you're in my cool book!

"DON'T FOK WITH COLOMBIA!!"-----Simon

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markiev says on Jun 7, 2007, 01:34:

Thanks Simon!!!! My wife is from bogota and does not like the "cold" north americans and the ignorance that most have towards her country...Sure colombia has problems, but so does this "lovely" united states.....Most of my closest and most trusted friends live in Medellin, Cartagena and Bogota...All are professional who do not use drugs and view themselves as succeseful citizens...And all agree that uribe has mad a hughe difference in their economy and the security of the country...Before people bash(gringos) on Colombia they should take a look at the united States and realize that it is not the paradise that others think it is...Remember folks, the real drug problem lies within the borders of the U.S., Canada and europe...Without the demand there would be no market....Gracias por leer mis dos centavos...

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elreydelostrolls says on Jun 8, 2007, 14:18:

I have to laugh at a rola bitching about "cold" North Americans.

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griffbos says on Jun 10, 2007, 12:19:

he is former US ambassador to the UN a repub mouth piece these days

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griffbos says on Jun 10, 2007, 19:12:

nah the Miami herald is a right leaning paper has been for a number of years now, they love to bash the dems while printing anything the right writes in their editorial section, I don;t think when the print it they disclose who th writer is

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