The United States is asking the countries of Europe and other potential donors to strengthen their political and financial support for the government of Colombian President Andres Pastrana as it seeks to stop illegal drug trafficking and put an end to Colombia's long-standing civil conflict.
"All of us, and particularly those of us here representing drug-consuming countries, have a special responsibility to assist Colombia in combating the violence and destruction caused by the narcotics industry," U.S. Under Secretary of State Marc Grossman said April 30 in Brussels, at the third meeting of international donors in support of the Colombian peace process.
More than 30 governments and international organizations participated in the conference, organized by the European Commission and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
Grossman said the United States has made an "extraordinary commitment" to Pastrana's Plan Colombia, having approved a $1,300 million assistance package last year. "Our aid package was comprehensive, including both development and counternarcotics assistance," he added.
Activities supported by U.S. aid include programs to reintegrate child soldiers into society, and to help small farmers in Colombia through an alternative development plan "which provides both social and economic infrastructure to farmers' communities, and assistance in achieving a decent standard of living through production of licit crops," Grossman said.
He noted that President Bush has announced plans to seek an additional $882 million for Colombia and other countries in the Andean region, and that the new aid package would focus even more heavily on development programs. "While final figures are subject to congressional approval, this translates into $146 million to expand the social and economic development programs we have already begin in Colombia, and approximately twice that amount for similar programs in Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela, Brazil and Panama," Grossman said.
Following is the text of Grossman's remarks to the EU/IDB conference on Colombia:
[Note: In the text, "billion" equals "thousand million."]
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Statement by Under Secretary for Political Affairs Marc Grossman
EU/IDB Conference on Colombia
Brussels, April 30, 2001
Mr. Chairman and distinguished colleagues:
The United States appreciates the opportunity that the Inter-American Development Bank and the European Union provide today to discuss our joint efforts to address the difficult challenges facing Colombia.
It is vital that the international community continue the efforts it began -- first in Madrid, and later in Bogota -- to help Colombia achieve the humanitarian, social development, human rights, and drug reduction goals it has set for itself.
All of us, and particularly those of us here representing drug-consuming countries, have a special responsibility to assist Colombia in combating the violence and destruction caused by the narcotics industry.
Both President Bush and Secretary of State Powell have emphasized that the fight against narcotics is the responsibility not only of drug-producing and transit countries, but also of consumer nations.
The assault by drug traffickers, guerrillas and paramilitaries on Colombia's democratic institutions concerns not just Colombians, but all of us. When these illegal armed groups threaten government authority, and kidnap and kill, they endanger the human rights of civilian populations, the delivery of humanitarian relief, the achievement of economic growth and expanded trade, and regional stability.
Today, we take stock of what our efforts to date have achieved and see what more we can do. We have also heard Colombia's plans. Their effort will be decisive. As President Bush said at the Summit of the Americas in Quebec last week, the United States appreciates the difficult challenges Colombia and other countries in the region face in fighting drugs, and stands ready to be their partner.
Our job is now to ensure that all of our assistance translates into real social and economic improvements for Colombians seeking a way out of lives of poverty and violence.
We also remain ready to help the government of Colombia as it seeks to negotiate, and then implement, agreements that end the conflict. This will take creativity and resources from the hemisphere, from Europe, and from Japan. At the Quebec summit, the elected leaders of the Americas expressed their firm support for the efforts of President Pastrana and the government of Colombia to achieve peace and reconciliation and to strengthen democratic values.
Leaders at the Quebec summit also called upon the guerrilla groups to act in a manner that corresponds to the efforts of the Colombian Government to achieve an end to hostilities and the effective reestablishment of peace.
The United States government made an extraordinary commitment to help Colombia last year with an assistance package totaling $1.3 billion. Our aid package was comprehensive, including both development and counternarcotics assistance.
The only solution to Colombia's problems is peace, the strengthening of civilian institutions to protect human rights, the reform of the justice system and the drastic reduction of narcotics cultivation, production and trafficking. Democracy. Development. Counternarcotics.
While I know that our counternarcotics effort -- which is vital to the success of Plan Colombia -- gets the publicity, our aid package included $230 million to help Colombia address underlying social and economic development issues, without which permanent progress toward the reduction of drug production and trafficking is not possible.
Our programs support alternative development, social programs, environmental protection, the strengthening of democracy through good governance, the rule of law, improved administration of justice, respect for human rights, humanitarian assistance, and the peace process.
Through this assistance package, we now:
- Work with the Government of Colombia and local non-government organizations to implement an early warning system that will enable officials to react swiftly to threats against the civilian population by illegal armed groups;
- Help municipalities promote employment for displaced persons and helping them to obtain basic health care, primary education, and decent shelter;
- Support the reintegration of child soldiers into society through education, training, and community based programs; and
- Aid small farmers, through our alternative development plan, which provides both social and economic infrastructure to farmers' communities and assistance in achieving a decent standard of living through production of licit crops.
Aerial eradication of coca crops is a key element of Colombia's comprehensive approach to providing both incentives and disincentives for coca production and trafficking.
Since last December, the Colombians have sprayed about 25,000 hectares -- almost half of the coca crop -- in Putumayo. Over 106 coca-processing laboratories have been destroyed. These measures have encouraged over 3,500 families to sign up for alternative development assistance.
Let me now report on our proposed next step. Two weeks ago, at the Quebec summit, President Bush announced his intention to seek $882 million for Colombia and other countries in the Andean Region. In developing this assistance package, we have benefited from our consultations with the countries and institutions represented here today.
As we heard at previous meetings in Madrid and Bogota, the challenge within Colombia is also a challenge to the Andean region.
President Bush emphasized that the funds are not just to help fight drugs, but to build strong economies, promote sustainable development, and develop the infrastructure for education.
The region's problems -- supporting democracy, providing humanitarian assistance to the neediest populations, fostering economic development, combating narcotics trafficking -- cannot be addressed in isolation. They cannot be addressed without reference to Colombia.
Under the Andean Regional Initiative, half of the proposed resources will go to Colombia, while half will go to the six other countries in the region. Half will go toward social and economic development, while half will support counter-narcotics efforts.
While final figures are subject to Congressional approval, this translates into $146 million to maintain and expand the social and economic development programs we have already begun in Colombia, and approximately twice that amount for similar programs in Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela, Brazil and Panama.
Although there are different ways to address Colombia's problems, our goals in Colombia are the same: to give the Government of Colombia the help it needs to safeguard its democracy, protect fundamental human rights, promote social and economic development projects, foster peace and fight the drug trade.
President Pastrana's strategy for addressing Colombia's challenges offers opportunities for donor countries and institutions to determine where our assistance can be most valuable.
We urge those here today to do more to help Colombia at this critical moment in its history through political as well as financial support for the peace process and its implementation, as well as through support for its social and economic development agenda.
We look forward to continuing to work in close consultation and coordination with the government of Colombia and the countries and institutions represented here today to achieve those goals.
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(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)