United States policy toward the Andean region,
which has focused predominantly on curbing drug cultivation and
trafficking, has been ineffective. Rather than reduce drug
trafficking and cultivation, the policy merely shifted it to other
areas around the region, and Colombia's drug traffickers have
forged cooperative relationships with guerrillas and paramilitary
groups. Worse, revenue from drug trafficking is financing
international terrorism.
Unless a new strategy toward this region
is developed, the weaknesses of past U.S. policy will undermine
efforts to help the region become economically and politically more
stable. Specifically:
- The Andean
countries should not be treated as a unit. Colombia's drug
and terrorism problems have grown, spilling into neighboring
countries and fueling criminal activities throughout the
hemisphere. In contrast, Bolivia and Peru successfully targeted the
cultivation of coca, and Peru was successful in defeating the
guerrillas in its territory. Meanwhile, Ecuador, primarily a drug
transit country, saw progress in stopping drug trafficking. Such
differences among the Andean countries call for a strategy that
addresses each Andean nation on its own needs and merits.
- Colombia's peace
process has failed despite U.S. support. The Bush
Administration inherited policies that encouraged Colombia to
appease the guerrillas and make concessions, such as granting a
Switzerland-sized sanctuary to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of
Colombia (FARC)--the most powerful guerrilla group in Colombia,
which the Bush Administration has listed as a terrorist
organization. The appeasement strategy merely encouraged the FARC
and other armed groups to continue brutalizing the population and
cooperating with drug traffickers. President Andrés Pastrana of Colombia
recently announced an end to the peace dialogue with Colombia's
leftist guerrillas and ordered them out of their haven because of
their ongoing attacks on the people, government, and infrastructure
of that country.
- U.S. policy
should not restrict trade and economic development. The
centerpiece of America's economic development strategy for the
region is the Andean Trade Preference Act (ATPA), which seeks to
strengthen legitimate sectors of the Andean economies by creating
viable alternatives to the drug trade. Unfortunately, ATPA has not
achieved its goal because of the limited nature of its trade
concessions. A comprehensive free trade agreement would be more
effective in promoting economic development.
A New
U.S.-Andean Strategy.
The Bush Administration should recognize these weaknesses
in past U.S. policies toward the Andean countries and establish a
new long-term strategy that looks beyond halfway measures and
conditional access to the U.S. market. The Administration
should:
- Treat Colombia's
drug and guerrilla problems as a security issue that is
fundamentally different from the problems in other Andean
nations. Colombia's drug problem is no longer just a
development and drug eradication issue; it has grown into a
security threat and should be addressed as such. Bolivia, Ecuador,
and Peru took strong steps to eradicate drug-related trade and
cultivation or guerrilla activity. They should be encouraged to
continue to exercise fiscal restraint, liberalize their economies,
privatize state enterprises, control inflation, eliminate
corruption, and strengthen the rule of law.
- Support
Colombia's fight against the guerrillas, paramilitary groups, and
drug traffickers. The growing power of guerrilla groups in
Colombia poses a threat to the Colombian government and to regional
security. The Administration should support the Colombian
government's rejection of appeasement measures, offering security
assistance as well as training and equipment to help it defeat the
combined problems of guerrilla violence and drug trafficking. The
Administration should also dedicate security assistance and
equipment to Colombia's neighbors to deal with problems that spill
across Colombia's border.
- Provide the
basis for prosperity by offering a free trade agreement.
ATPA is a limited trade agreement. The United States should go
beyond its trade preferences and transform it into a free trade
agreement with Bolivia, Ecuador, and Peru to enable them to export
more of the products for which they have a competitive advantage.
Signing a free trade agreement with the United States would
motivate these countries to sustain their efforts to eradicate drug
trafficking and defeat the guerrillas. Once the Colombian
government has demonstrated its commitment to these goals as well,
the United States should integrate it into the broader economic
agenda and the free trade agreement.
Conclusion.
The United States must revise its Andean policy to help the
nations of that region achieve political and economic stability.
Guerrilla terrorism and illegal drug cultivation now threaten the
entire region and American interests. Eradicating them must be a
priority, but Colombia's problem must be treated as a separate
security issue. Bolivia, Ecuador, and Peru should be encouraged to
continue liberalizing their economies and strengthening the rule of
law, and ATPA should be transformed into a full free trade
agreement with Bolivia, Ecuador, and Peru, with Colombia joining as
it demonstrates its commitment to market liberalization,
eradicating drug trafficking, and defeating the guerrillas.
Ana
I. Eiras is Economic Policy Analyst for Latin America in
the Center for International Trade and Economics; John C. Hulsman,
Ph.D., is Research Fellow for European Affairs, and Stephen Johnson is
Policy Analyst for Latin America, in the Kathryn and Shelby Cullom
Davis Institute for International Studies; and Brett D. Schaefer is
Jay Kingham Fellow in International Regulatory Affairs in the
Center for International Trade and Economics at The Heritage
Foundation. Research Assistants Anthony Kim, Carrie Satterlee, and
Kimberly Thompson also contributed to this paper.