Bush's Request for Colombian Aid to Face More Scrutiny from New Congress

During President George W. Bush’s visit to Columbia he renewed U.S. support to Colombia, the nation who receives more American aid than any country outside the Middle East and Afghanistan.^[1]

Bush arrived on Sunday, March 11, to meet with President Alvaro Uribe in a show of confidence for Uribe and Colombia’s battle against narco-terrorists.^[2] Bush indicated that he will ask Congress to maintain current aid levels to Colombia at roughly $700 million annually to support the Latin American country’s fight against terrorism and drug trafficking. ^[3]

However the Democrats who are now in control of the U.S. Congress have started asking tough questions about the Colombian aid money given the recent news pouring out of Colombia.^[4] In 2006, U.S. government officials were forced to announce that despite so much investment in drug eradication, its satellites had detected more coca in Colombia than they had in 2000, when the program started.^[5] On top of that, Colombia's U.S.-aided army was battered by a series of damaging revelations; young recruits were being violently tortured; an army patrol working at the service of drug lords murdered an entire elite police anti-drug unit; civilians were killed in dozens of incidents, their bodies dressed in camouflage and presented as guerrillas killed in combat; multiple car-bombs were planted in Bogotá by soldiers and blamed on guerrillas, the list goes on and on.^[6] Then, in late 2006, reports revealed the outrageous degree to which corruption and narco-terrorist insiders had infiltrated Colombia's government, at all levels. Those currently in custody or at large include 10 members of Colombia's congress and other officials close to the president, including the head of the presidential intelligence service.^[7]

The new Congress has two Colombia initiatives before it. The first is a free-trade agreement, reached by both governments in February 2006,^[8] the second is a consideration on what U.S. aid to Colombia will look like in 2008 and beyond. The Colombian government is proposing "Plan Colombia 2," a new framework to frame foreign aid until 2013, the proposal calls for more social investment and a somewhat less militarized approach, however despite that plan President Bush has requested the same $750 million aid package as in previous years.^[9] Bush may run into more resistance this time, the democrats want to see a less militaristic approach and with the current plan’s track record, it looks as though there will be a shift in priorities.^[10]

We have previously discussed Narco-Terrorism at length, here.

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^[1] Violence plagues Colombia on Bush visit, AP (via Edmonton Sun), March 11, 2007.
^[2] Id.
^[3] Id.
^[4] Id.
^[5] Adam Isacson, Plan Obsolescence In Colombia, TomPaine.com, March 13, 2007.
^[6] Id.
^[7] Id.
^[8] “In July 2005, a similar trade pact with Central America passed the Republican-run House of Representatives by the narrow margin of 217-215, with only 15 Democrats voting in favor. This year, the House has over 30 more Democrats than it did before, and many are concerned about Colmbia's human-rights violations, including the frequent killing with impunity of Colombian trade unionists.” Id.
^[9] 80% of which is military aid. Id.
^[10] Id.