Why Does our Government Adopt this Unpromising Strategy ?
Plan Colombia is clearly an ill-conceived project. It is, in fact, a compromise between several distinct groups and their very different interests. Some of these groups are:
1. Politicians in the US who want to appear to be tough on drugs. As politicians they want simple solutions that can be conveyed to their constituents in a few sound-bites.
2. The US Anti-narcotics establishment, consisting of many different groups and bureaus in the government, has not been doing very well. Billions of dollars spent in drug eradication in Latin America, in interdiction of drug smuggling, and in the incarceration of alleged drug dealers in the US, have shown minimal results. The Anti-narcotics establishment needs a big breakthrough in its, so far, unsuccessful "war on drugs."
3. The US military, since the fall of the Soviet Union deprived of its central mission, must find new tasks for itself. The guerilla war in Colombia is a fine opportunity to persuade the public of the importance of having a bloated military establishment in the US.
4. Plan Colombia will spend close to $900 millions on weapons, sophisticated helicopters, etc. US Defense firms like United Technology, Sikorsky and Textron are supportive of that effort, as is DynCorp, a private firm that provides military trainers to Colombia.
5. Reports keep surfacing that the CIA is at work in the Colombia theatre, still fighting communism, and making unholy alliances with the most brutal elements in the Colombian civil war. (16)
6. On his one-day trip to Cartagena, President Clinton was accompanied by a select group of CEO's-some from US companies already active in Colombia such as oil companies (Enron) or coal companies (Drummond). But the majority came from companies interested in future investments in Colombia in energy, or communications technology, as well as CEO's from apparel manufacturers looking for cheap labor. (17)
Given these different interest groups one can see the shape of this ill conceived Plan Colombia emerge: Do something spectacular to eradicate drugs (never mind that it is unlikely to work) that involves a significant role for the US military, significant profits for the defense industry, investment opportunities for US companies, and a covert role for the old cold warriors in the CIA.
1. Politicians in the US who want to appear to be tough on drugs. As politicians they want simple solutions that can be conveyed to their constituents in a few sound-bites.
2. The US Anti-narcotics establishment, consisting of many different groups and bureaus in the government, has not been doing very well. Billions of dollars spent in drug eradication in Latin America, in interdiction of drug smuggling, and in the incarceration of alleged drug dealers in the US, have shown minimal results. The Anti-narcotics establishment needs a big breakthrough in its, so far, unsuccessful "war on drugs."
3. The US military, since the fall of the Soviet Union deprived of its central mission, must find new tasks for itself. The guerilla war in Colombia is a fine opportunity to persuade the public of the importance of having a bloated military establishment in the US.
4. Plan Colombia will spend close to $900 millions on weapons, sophisticated helicopters, etc. US Defense firms like United Technology, Sikorsky and Textron are supportive of that effort, as is DynCorp, a private firm that provides military trainers to Colombia.
5. Reports keep surfacing that the CIA is at work in the Colombia theatre, still fighting communism, and making unholy alliances with the most brutal elements in the Colombian civil war. (16)
6. On his one-day trip to Cartagena, President Clinton was accompanied by a select group of CEO's-some from US companies already active in Colombia such as oil companies (Enron) or coal companies (Drummond). But the majority came from companies interested in future investments in Colombia in energy, or communications technology, as well as CEO's from apparel manufacturers looking for cheap labor. (17)
Given these different interest groups one can see the shape of this ill conceived Plan Colombia emerge: Do something spectacular to eradicate drugs (never mind that it is unlikely to work) that involves a significant role for the US military, significant profits for the defense industry, investment opportunities for US companies, and a covert role for the old cold warriors in the CIA.
