Haunted Land

Two recent disasters--one natural and one man-made--have left Colombia, already a troubled nation, even more badly shaken. They have also apparently undone the government of President Belasario Betancur, a decent man who was defeated by events and problems beyond his control.

Last week’s eruption of the Nevada del Rio Volcano--which destroyed the city of Armero and several nearby villages, killing more than 20,000 people--could stand as a sad symbol of the many difficulties that finally overwhelmed Betancur. Scientists had warned of an impending eruption, and the government in Bogota had begun preparations for dealing with it. But these plans were still unfinished when the mountain exploded, and the disaster-management plans that were in existence proved slow and unwieldy, and may have contributed to the death toll. As a result, although the Betancur government responded quickly with rescue efforts and aid for the stricken region around the volcano, there are grumblings of discontent in Colombia.

That discontent may stem less from the government’s handling of the volcano disaster than from its bloody and violent reaction to the seizure of the nation’s Palace of Justice the week before. When heavily armed guerrillas of the Colombian faction popularly known as M-19--for the 19th of April Movement--seized the palace in downtown Bogota, taking most of the country’s leading jurists as hostage, everyone expected Betancur to negotiate. The Colombian president had, after all, earned international praise with his three-year effort to arrange peace treaties with M-19 and three other guerrilla factions. Instead, he allowed the Colombian army to respond in force, laying siege to the building for two days and killing more than 100 persons--not just guerrillas, but also hostages and bystanders--in the process.

Some analysts argue that Betancur had no choice in the palace siege. After giving so much ground in earlier negotiations with the guerrillas, the army might have overthrown Betancur if he did not finally counterattack against M-19. Still, a feeling persists among many Colombians that the palace seizure could also have been handled better than it was.

As a result of two debacles coming so closely together, the Betancur government, which is due to be replaced in elections next year, has succumbed earlier than expected to its lame-duck status. That is not good news for the United States, for Betancur was been a friend to this country. His campaign to crack down on Colombian drug traffickers won the grateful praise of President Reagan. Less appreciated by the Administration, but no less important, was Betancur’s participation in the Contadora Group’s peacemaking efforts in Central America.

Whoever replaces Betancur as president next year will have all these challenges--rebuilding from the volcano disaster, dealing with the guerrillas and halting the drug traffic--facing him. And possibly overriding them all will be the problems that are posed by Colombia’s stagnant economy. It can only be hoped that Colombia’s new president shows the imagination, flexibility and good will that Betancur displayed in the early years of his administration.