Communist Web Sunday 5th March 2000 9.30pm gmt Who will profit from U.S. aid to Columbia? By Arthur Perlo On Jan. 11 President Clinton announced a two-year, $1.3 billion "emergency aid package" to fight narcotics in Colombia. The Republicans have proposed a similar amount. Despite the rhetoric, this package will cause U.S. workers to lose jobs, further impoverish millions of Colombians, undermine human rights and promote terrorism in Colombia, increase the danger of U.S. involvement in war in Latin America, promote environmental destruction and spend tax money taken from U.S. workers. And yes, it will increase, not decrease, the drug trade. Some background: A civil war has raged in Colombia for decades. The rebels are based among the poor peasants, who are being driven from their land by big Colombian and foreign landowners, and by U.S. multinational corporations who want the land for oil, forest and other resources, and for export- oriented agriculture. The previous administration in Colombia agreed to demands by U.S. banks and the IMF privatization, opening the economy to foreign (U.S.) capital, cutting social services. The result was rising unemployment and poverty in the cities, and more peasants being driven from their land (and into the FARC and ELF, the main rebel armies). The new president, Andres Pastrana, pledged to change these policies and open peace negotiations. But despite acknowledging the justice of many rebel demands and agreeing to land reform, he is unwilling or unable to control the military and the right-wing death squads that terrorize the country. He appears to be... http://www.billkath.demon.co.uk/cw/who/who.html
