Give Colombia Some Slack

In a strong rebuke to the failed policies of the Ernesto Samper administration, Colombian voters on Sunday chose Andres Pastrana as their new president. It was Pastrana who accused Samper of accepting money from drug dealers, a brave charge in a dangerous country.

The son of a former president, Pastrana convinced voters that he has what it takes to turn Colombia around. The United States should support him and give him slack to set his own priorities. Undue pressure from Washington would only make his job harder.

Pastrana, a former mayor of Bogota who will take office in August, was elected on a pledge to bring peace to a country that suffers the longest-running guerrilla war in the Western Hemisphere. He has promised to stamp out drug-related corruption, energize the economy and seek ways to restore the image of a once-proud nation.

Taming political and narcotics violence will not be easy. The new president must be realistic and find ways to talk with the guerrilla groups, paramilitary forces, drug traffickers and even Bogota’s violent criminal element. For this he needs flexibility on all fronts.

Pressing Pastrana to focus solely on eradicating drug trafficking won’t help him. The traffickers and growers are part of the national fabric. Each part must be brought into a tent of national unity, and that will take time. If Pastrana delivers on his promise to pacify the country, the rest of the problems can be resolved over time. Only Colombians can do it.