PLAN COLOMBIA

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PLAN COLOMBIA

• By Ronny Ayyad

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Background On Colombia

• Colombia was one of three countries that emerged
  from the collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830.
• A 40-year insurgent campaign to overthrow the
  Colombian Government happened in the 1990s
  because of the ongoing drug trade.

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Background

• Government type is a Republic, which means the
  executive branch dominates government structure
• Current President Alvaro Uribe Velez
• Population as of July 2004 is 42,310,775

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PLAN COLOMBIA

• The government of Colombia has developed a
  multi-year, comprehensive strategy designed to
  bring peace to the country.
• Also the main purpose is to reduce the production
  of illegal drugs, revitalize the economy and
  strengthen the overall government.

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PLAN COLOMBIA

• PLAN COLOMBIA will cost an estimated 7.5 billion
  dollars
• 4 billion of this was pledged by president
  Pastrana in 2001
• The other 3.5 billion comes from the
  international community
• 1.3 billion of that was given by the United
  States

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UNITED STATES ASSISTANCE

• There are five components of U.S. assistance.
• Support for Human Rights and Judicial Reform
• Expansions of Counter-Narcotics Operations into
  Southern Colombia

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UNITED STATES ASSISTANCE

• Alternative Economic development
• Increased Interdiction
• Assistance for the Colombian National Police

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PLAN COLOMBIA CURRENTLY

• Current president Alvaro Uribe met with President
  Bush seeking a four year extension of PLAN
  COLOMBIA in March 2004
• The extension could last to the year 2009 which
  was scheduled to expire in September 2005

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PLAN COLOMBIA CURRENTLY

• The United States has already provided Colombia
  with 2.8 billion since 2000 for mostly military
  aid
• Many Critics of counternarcotics programs are
  saying, This program provides too little funding
  for alternative crop development and that it only
  focuses on military solutions to the illegal drug
  trade.

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THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION REACTION ON PLAN COLOMBIA

• They have asked congress to authorize the
  expansion of the U.S. military presence in
  Colombia from 400 troops to 800 troops
• Also they asked to increase the number of U.S.
  contractors from 400 to 600
• Many believe raising the cap would deepen
  U.S. Military involvement in Colombias civil
  conflict.

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CURRENT NEWS IN COLOMBIA

• On November 23, 2004 President Bush visited
  Colombia and praised Colombias battle against
  drugs and Marxist guerrillas
• President Uribe is using the aerial fumigation
  program against coca and against insurgents who
  fund themselves through drug trafficking,
  kidnapping and extortion

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CURRENT NEWS IN COLOMBIA

• President Uribe has said, We have made progress
  but the serpent is still alive
• According to the White House since President
  Uribe came to power two years ago PLAN COLOMBIA
  has helped capture many drug traffickers as well
  as reduce the coca crop by 20 percent.

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WORKS CITIED

• Background Notes on Countries of the World 2003
  Nov2003 Columbia, p1, 14p.
• Carpenter, Ted Galen. Bad Neighbor Policy
  Washingtons futile war on drugs in Latin
  America. New York Palgrave, 2003.
• Herlinger, Chris. Chaos in Colombia. Christian
  Century Nov 2002, Vol 119 issue 23, p28-32.
• Isacson, Adam. Washingtons New War in
  Colombia The War on Drugs Meets the War on
  Terror. NACLA Report on the Americas
  Mar/Apr2003, Vol. 36 Issue 5 p13-9.

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WORKS CITED

• Lording it Over Colombia. Economist Oct2004,
  Vol 373 Issue 8398 p35-7.
• Plan ColombiaThe Sequel. Economist Aug2003,
  Vol 368 Issue 8338 p28-30.
• Sweig, Julia E. What Kind of War for Colombia.
  Foreign Affairs Sep/Oct 2002, Vol 81 issue 5,
  p122-43.

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THE END