Plan Colombia

Nalee HaRichard BatistaMatt Schneck

US Problem

● 1980s-90s Crack Epidemic in US● US War on Drugs● Kerry Committee Report on Contras

○ Contras support from drug traffickers

Columbia ProblemPresident Andres Pastrana of Columbia

during elections in 1998:“[Drug crops are] a social problem whose

solution must pass through the solution to the armed conflict...Developed countries should help us to implement some sort of “Marshall Plan” for Columbia, which will allow us to develop great investments in the social field, in order to offer our peasants different alternatives to the illicit crops.”

Introduction - Plan ColumbiaOverarching Goals● Reduce guerrilla insurgency ● Reduce drug funding for ELA and FARC● Increase Colombian military

capabilities

Plan Colombia

● “plan for peace, prosperity, and strengthening of the state”

● original plan composed by Colombia was more focused on development and social problems, but plan that

passed a little different

Passing Plan Colombia● to pass in US, had to have direct link

● 90% all drugs in US was brought in from Colombia

Passed Plan-What it meant for US

● US ended up enacting the $1.3B package

● up to 500 military personnel to train local military and 300 civilians to help with drug control

● a part of the “War against Drugs” started under Nixon

Financing the Plan

Total Funding: ○ $7.5 billion:

■ 51% Institution and Social Development

■ 32% Fighting Drugs■ 16% Economic and

Social Revitalization■ .8% To resolve

conflict with guerilla groups

Breakdown by Country

● $4.9B from Columbia

● $1.3B from US● rest from EU

and other support

Plan Objectives:

1. “Strengthen the fight against drug trafficking...”2. “Strengthen the judicial system and combat

corruption”3. “Neutralize the drug trade's financial system and

seize its resources for the state”4. “Neutralize and combat violence agents allied

with the drug trade”5. “Integrate national initiatives into regional and

international efforts”6. “Strengthen and expand plans for alternative

development in areas affected by drug trafficking”

Presidencies Bill Clinton served as president of the U.S from

1993-2001.

Andres Pastrana served as president of Columbia from 1998-2002.-Father was president from 1970-1974-

Clinton & Pastrana

Focused on the eradication of cocaine destined for the united states

Pastrana lead the negotiations between the Colombian government and the leftist guerilla leaders of the FARC and ELN.

- sectioned off a piece of the columbia the size of switzerland for guerilla activity.

Clinton attempted to push the use of aerial herbicides as a tool to control the production of coca plants.

George W. Bush served from 2001-2009

Alvaro Uribe served from 2002-2010

Bush & Uribe

The resources used to combat the war on drugs was shifted to terrorism

An increase in funding made the colombian military much more capable of fighting against the hard to capture guerilla fighters.

Uribe cracked down on FARC and ELN much harder than Pastrana through the implementation of Plan Patriota.

Plan Rebirth-Farc response to crackdown-2008

Operation Espada de Honor-Continued pressure by the Uribe administration

Barack H.Obama won both 2008 and 2012 election

Juan Manuel Santos won the 2010 election

Obama & Santos Increase focus on creating a better economy by improving and investing in agriculture,industry and infrastructure by Santos.

Obama declared a decrease in aid from 37 million in 2012 to 30 million in 2013

Negotiations between guerilla group leaders in Farc and ELN with government officials also intensified.(Havana)

Over the span of two years more than 5,000 fighters were lost by these guerilla groups. -1,402 Cocaine laboratories dismantled

-90 percent reduction in illegal air-traffic-leaving aprox. less than 7200 FARC and

1500 ELN

Discussion Questions

1) What do you think of Plan Colombia? In your opinion, is it a policy worth following through with?

2) Is it fair of the US to intervene in Colombia with regards to curbing drug trafficking?

3) Do you think it’s feasible to shut down cocaine production in Colombia?

Sourceshttp://colombiareports.co/colombia-army-claims-farc-eln-lost-5-thousand-guerrillas-past-two-years/

http://www.colombia-politics.com/plan-colombia-farc/

http://colombiareports.co/us-cuts-colombias-military-and-anti-drug-funding/

http://scholarlyrepository.miami.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1891&context=oa_dissertations&sei-redir=1&referer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Furl%3Fsa%3Dt%26rct%3Dj%26q%3Dplan%2520colombia%2520santos%26source%3Dweb%26cd%3D4%26cad%3Drja%26ved%3D0CDsQFjAD%26url%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fscholarlyrepository.miami.edu%252Fcgi%252Fviewcontent.cgi%253Farticle%253D1891%2526context%253Doa_dissertations%26ei%3DRQFMUsHfG4aa9QSTroGwAg%26usg%3DAFQjCNGwk0AeSI381xiU-habUTebn2CzwQ%26bvm%3Dbv.53371865%2Cd.eWU#search=%22plan%20colombia%20santos%22

http://www.americasquarterly.org/node/3787

http://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/file/resources/collections/peace_agreements/plan_colombia_101999.pdf

http://www.stratfor.com/weekly/colombias-new-counterinsurgency-plan