Drug War in Colombia

* Your Feb. 15 editorial, “Explain Colombia Aid,” as well as the aid itself, is at best fuzzy. How long do you think the promoters of the drug business will take to produce a counter to the $1.3 billion that we propose to give? Their coffers are full, courtesy of these United States of America. That we do it with the best of intentions counts to many of us. However, the results are gut-wrenching. Colombia, a traditional jewel of democracy in Latin America, is destroyed by the drug business and by the communist insurgency financed by the drug businessmen. If that was not enough, a good part of the corruption we see in our own drug enforcement is due to the profits to be encountered in the drug business.

When are we going to realize that the unintended coalition of those with good intentions and those who profit from the drug business is causing great damage to the Colombias of the world and to our own society? We must decriminalize the drug business and take the profit out of it. We could still protect our children and help the addicts. Citizens with consciences must demand action.

JOSE REINES

Brentwood

* You say, “Those were the decades, Washington will remember, when American ‘trainers’ aided Central American troops in bitter wars against leftist guerrillas inspired by Fidel Castro.” I thought the guerrillas were inspired by the Washington-supported totalitarian governments. I thought they were inspired by the idea of getting rid of the people who were oppressing them.

Thanks for straightening me out.

CHRISTOPHER TRUMBO

Beverly Hills