President Now Backs Extradition

President Ernesto Samper has raised the stakes in the nation’s drug war by calling for an end to the constitutional ban on the extradition of cocaine traffickers and other criminals. The move, which could clear the way for jailed Cali cartel traffickers to be put on trial in the United States, must still be approved by Congress. Analysts say the issue is certain to be the subject of heated debate. U.S. lobbying and behind-the-scenes pressure tactics are widely seen as the reason for Samper’s about-face on extradition.