Escobar’s Surrender

Your editorial (“The Escobar Deal: How Helpful?” June 21) regarding the surrender of Pablo Escobar, leader of the Medellin drug cartel, did not accurately represent the facts of the case.

First, Escobar will be incarcerated in a secure prison surrounded by barbed wire, electric fences and an army battalion. The jail has facilities no different from those found in jails in the United States and other countries. The prison is a highly secure facility designed specifically to hold dangerous criminals.

Second, the editorial erroneously stated that the prison guards will be “handpicked” by Escobar. On the contrary, they will be corrections officers selected by government authorities. In addition, an army battalion will encircle the facility at a mile’s distance. Escobar’s enemies are numerous, and it is therefore appropriate that the Colombian government take precautions to protect his life.

Third, your editorial presumptuously states that it will be “easier for Escobar” to continue his illicit business and compete with rival traffickers from a jail cell. Extraordinary steps are being taken to ensure that Escobar will not continue his illegal business from jail. Just as in the United States, Escobar’s communication with the outside world will be monitored, visitors will be accompanied at all times by guards and his right to communicate to his lawyer and his relatives will be the same as those granted in any civilized country. If any illegal activity should occur, Escobar will lose the benefits of his plea bargain.

Fourth, your editorial claims that “any benefits gained by putting Escobar away will be strictly short-term.” On the contrary, our war against drugs is not a short-term one; we are in this for the long haul, until we can win. With Escobar and his top associates in jail, we can now concentrate on dismantling the remnants of his cartel and intensifying our efforts against the Cali cartel. In addition, our law enforcement and interdiction efforts are ever increasing. In the first half of 1991, more than 40 tons of processed cocaine have been seized by Colombian authorities, doubling last year’s record.

The president’s strategy is designed to end the terrorism and eliminate drug trafficking from Colombia. Our war is not over, but we will go on, convinced more than ever that we will provide our children’s future of prosperity and peace.

JAIME GARCIA-PARRA

Ambassador of Colombia

Washington, D.C.