Colombians Battle More Than a Protracted Guerrilla War

When Colombia’s new president takes office Wednesday, an American surveillance plane will circle overhead, patrolling the skies. On the ground, among the international dignitaries attending the inauguration ceremonies will be Robert Zoellick, the U.S. trade representative. Both are symbolic of the key role the U.S. will play in this new and dangerous chapter of the country’s troubled history.

There is little doubt that Colombia’s 38-year-old guerrilla war is about to get worse. Colombians knew that when they elected the hard-line, Harvard-educated Alvaro Uribe in a landslide.

It is also a virtual certainty that U.S. involvement will grow now that many of the warring factions have received the “terrorist” stamp from the U.S. State Department. The question remains: What will the new era bring, beyond more bloodshed and heartache?

Colombia’s leftist guerrillas and its vigilante paramilitary armies long ago qualified for the terrorist label. But the nation’s problems extend far beyond the very serious crisis brought on by its devastating, surreal war. (It was reported that in July, all the villagers of Puerto Alvira were kidnapped by guerrillas in one more plot worthy of a Gabriel Garcia Marquez novel.)

Depending on one’s perspective, the most immediate problem may be drug trafficking, grinding poverty, human rights abuses, terrorist attacks, kidnappings for financial gain, a stratospheric murder rate or a war that refuses to end. Ignoring any of these problems while focusing solely on the war would be a serious mistake.

Uribe has a mandate to end the war, and he has a kindred spirit in the White House ready to bankroll his guerrilla-hunting forays. The two presidents, in Bogota and in Washington, risk worsening the plight of Colombians and discrediting their efforts if they forget their ultimate purpose: The war must end to make people’s lives better.

The enormous danger faced by those fighting terror is the temptation to counterattack with such power that they too inflict terror on innocent civilians. The Colombian government and its U.S. backers must undertake parallel campaigns to ease the plight of Colombians. While fighting a war whose ultimate goal must be a return to the peace table, a similarly vigorous effort to stimulate the country’s economy and address its social ills must begin. This will ensure that Colombia’s government is fighting on behalf of the people, and that the U.S. is not simply standing on the side of war.

The U.S. pumped billions into Colombia’s failed anti-narcotics crusade and, in effect, into its unsuccessful war effort. Money and talent must also be channeled into bringing prosperity to the country.

Clearly, the war does little to help the economy, and ending the fighting would improve living standards. But there is no need to wait for this endless war to conclude before focusing on terrible social and economic problems that make the narcotics business more enticing, while giving rhetorical ammunition to leftist guerrillas who say they fight for social justice.

And it would be absurd to wait for the war to end before focusing on the value of human life. Human rights abuses have become endemic in the country. The worst violators are paramilitary groups. They share the government’s hatred of the guerrillas, which often leads the army to turn a blind eye to their atrocities.

The incoming president, whose father was murdered by leftist guerrillas, is believed by many to have links to paramilitaries. He denies that, but his supporters must keep a close eye on his conduct of the war, the behavior of his army and the actions of the battalions of civilians he plans to enlist as “the eyes and ears” of the military.

The planned presence of the top U.S. trade official at Uribe’s inauguration is a positive sign. Washington would do well to strengthen its trade ties with Colombia.

Under the surveillance of the U.S. plane, Colombia’s landscape presents new possibilities and enormous danger.

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Frida Ghitis’ latest book is “The End of Revolution: A Changing World in the Age of Live Television” (Algora Publishing, 2001).