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| Economics, Not Drugs, at Root of Colombian War |
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Posted by FoM on August 30, 2001 at 21:49:04 PT By Alejandro Bustos Source: Ottawa Citizen 
A group of Canadian activists just back from Colombia said the war on drugs is a smokescreen that hides the true nature of the civil war in the South American country. "This is not a war on drugs, it's a war on people to take resources at their expense," said Rhonda Spence, president of CoDevelopment Canada, a Vancouver-based non-governmental organization that does development work in Latin America. The Minga delegation of 30 Canadian social activists, union leaders and New Democratic Party members returned to Canada earlier this week after spending two weeks in Colombia. "Drug trafficking is a consequence of the conflict, not the cause," said Pablo Leal, an Ottawa-based organizer of the delegation. "What is happening in Colombia is that the conflict there is caused by the implementation of an economic model." They took issue with Plan Colombia, the $1.3 billion US anti-drug program funded by the United States. Much of the aid comes in the form of military equipment. Washington and Bogota say the U.S. support - the biggest arms buildup in the region since El Salvador's civil war in the 1980s - is necessary for the fight against the drug trade. But critics say it's foolish to flood the region with weapons, given the violence that's already happening in Colombia's complicated civil war involving two left-wing guerrilla groups, right-wing paramilitaries, the armed forces and drug traffickers. Brutality and massacres have long been part of the conflict. A Colombian Embassy official in Ottawa said a spokesperson was not immediately available to comment on the delegation's claims. The embassy has previously said that left-wing critics of Colombia have underplayed the impact of the drug trade and failed to take account of the pressures Colombian authorities face from the various armed groups. "The military component of Plan Colombia is often criticized, as well as its provider, the U.S.," Fanny Kertzman, Colombia's ambassador to Canada, wrote in a letter to the Hamilton Spectator earlier this summer. "But what are our options to defeat the criminals? Where are we going to get the equipment, in the black market, like the criminals do?" The ambassador said her government was "committed to fighting all criminals: narco-traffickers who are fuelling this war, illegal self-defence groups and guerrillas." Washington has also said it must fight the drug traffickers. U.S. officials note that Colombia is the largest exporter of cocaine to the United States and is increasing its role in the heroin market. The Colombian conflict, activists say, can be traced to the power struggle between landowners and peasants, workers and bosses, dating back to the 19th century before the drug trade became an issue. This struggle is played out now with the presence of multinational corporations. Left-wing critics accuse them of operating in Colombia at the expense of the local population. Complete Title: Economics, Not Drugs, at Root of Colombian War, Canadian Activists Say Source: Ottawa Citizen (CN ON) Related Articles & Web Site: Colombia Drug War News U.S. Defends Anti-Narcotics Policy Many Colombians Back Decriminalization Oil Rigged - Americas.org Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help |
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