New Colombian Leader Facing Policy Conflict

U.S. officials have warmly welcomed new Colombian President Andres Pastrana as a replacement for the drug money-tainted administration of Ernesto Samper.

Still, just days into his term, Pastrana appears to be facing a conflict between two of his major campaign promises: improving relations with the United States and negotiating peace with Marxist guerrillas largely financed by cocaine and heroin production.

The first showdown may well be over the prickly issue of eradicating opium poppies, the source of heroin, and coca, the bushes used to produce cocaine.

In meetings with the rebels before taking office, Pastrana said he would be willing to consider withdrawing government troops from areas of rebel influence--up to half the country. That would, in effect, end U.S.-backed programs that dust drug crops with herbicides.

But hours before attending Pastrana’s inauguration Friday, Gen. Barry R. McCaffrey, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, said: “Eradication is the central aspect of U.S. counter-drug thinking. We have to stop the production of opium; coca; methamphetamines in the United States [and] hydroponic marijuana in the United States. Drug production is clearly a central element to our strategy that can’t be taken off the table.”

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Colombian analysts skeptical of the new administration had foreseen the likelihood of a conflict even as Pastrana met with President Clinton a week ago.

Roberto Posada, a columnist at the respected newspaper El Tiempo, said the presidential meeting was “an indication of a better formal relationship. It does not mean the U.S. is going to loosen up on its demands in relation to drugs.”

Ultimately, those are demands that Colombia cannot meet, he said, explaining, “It is impossible to get rid of the drug business while there is still a demand.”

McCaffrey expressed frustration with Colombia’s lack of progress in stemming the flow of illegal drugs.

“Last year, there was over $100 million in U.S. support for Colombia,” he said. “It was the dominant [recipient] of U.S. counter-drug aid on the face of the Earth. And in the last two year years, we have watched Colombia become the No. 1 grower . . . of coca and . . . more than 60% of the heroin seizures last year in the United States were of Colombian heroin.”

Further, he said, drug production is closely linked to the rebels, who “tax” narco-crops grown in areas under their control. “It has given them such an enormous source of wealth that, arguably, their firepower, their pay scales, their intelligence service are more sophisticated than that of the forces that guard this democracy. And that’s a problem.”

Peter Romero, assistant secretary of State for inter-American affairs, who was also in Colombia for the inauguration, acknowledged that military defeat of the rebels is not likely “at least for six or seven years.”

Nevertheless, last week’s pre-inaugural guerrilla attacks--which devastated a major anti-narcotics base and left a death toll that continues to mount as wounded die and more bodies are found in the dense jungle--undercut U.S. enthusiasm for peace talks.

“There’s an emerging credibility gap that the guerrillas have,” said Romero. “They are talking about peace . . . and then they go out and launch attacks throughout the whole country. Several hundred boys, essentially, are killed so that they can say they control certain parts of this country. It doesn’t coincide with what they are saying publicly.”

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That hard line contrasted sharply with the conciliatory comments toward the rebels made during the inaugural ceremony by Pastrana and Fabio Valencia Cossio, president of Colombia’s Congress, several of whose members are currently in guerrilla hands.

“The persistence of war in Colombia reflects in large part the inability of our political system to interpret the nation’s wants and to bring about the changes that will open the doors to a new country,” said Valencia Cossio. “Peace can be near.”

In a similar vein, Pastrana noted: “Historically, our nation has based its identity on a homogeneousness that excluded [many groups]. . . . Developments, particularly current ones, show us that those who are excluded tend to demand with great violence the recognition of their existence and their right to participate.”

Significantly, while McCaffrey’s lapel bore a black ribbon of mourning for the police and soldiers killed in last week’s rebel attacks, Pastrana and Valencia Cossio wore green ribbons--a symbol of support for peace.