Via the NYT: Bush Heads to Colombia as Scandal Taints Alliance

The Bush administration has no closer ally in South America than Colombia, the recipient of more than $4 billion in American aid this decade to combat drug trafficking and guerrilla insurgencies. But a widening scandal tying paramilitary death squads and drug traffickers to close supporters of President Álvaro Uribe is clouding President Bush’s brief visit here on Sunday.

Since the scandal worsened in recent weeks, Democrats in the United States Congress have increased their scrutiny of two important measures before them: a broad trade agreement with Colombia that has already been signed by Mr. Bush and Mr. Uribe, and a request from the administration for a new $3.9 billion aid package for the country.

It is worth noting, sadly, that many of the problem highlighted in this article, or that have been brought to attention to the US press because of Bush’s visit to Colombia, are hardly new. What is new is the degree to which there have been very public connections to high ranking officials in the executive and legislative branches to paramilitary organizations, taking (to some degree) these connections out of the shadows.

I think it is also worth noting that this situation is one in which the knowledge of these connections are being brought to the public’s attention because of a number of high profile arrests. As such, one can argue that there are parts of the Colombia government that are functioning properly and that such arrests are a good sign to counter (to some degree) the fact that there persons, and their activities, exist in the first place. Precisely how much of a counter remains to be seen.

And, of course, one of the ironies of the situation (at least in regards to Bush administration policies) is that the the paramilitary group known as the AUC (the United Self-defense Groups of Colombia) was placed, along with the guerrilla groups the FARC and the ELN, on the State Department’s list of terrorist organizations not long after 9/11. As such, Colombia was defined into the “war on terror:” by the administration to some extent. Certainly Uribe himself has embraced the rhetoric of the war on terror, referring countless times to the conflict in Colombia in those terms since 9/11. It is noteworthy that while one might have heard or read a reference to “terror” or “terrorism” in regards to the Colombian case on occasion prior to 9/11, the frequency of usage skyrocketed after those events.

I will say this: there are numerous grounds to consider, and re-consider, the type and amount of aid given to Colombia (indeed, I would like to see a substantial re-evaluation of our anti-drug policies, but that isn’t going to happen), however I think it would be a mistake to hold up the free trade pact, as such a move would ultimately punish the Colombian economy as a whole, not the Uribe administration specifically.

To get some idea of the security situation in Colombia, the last line of the article is striking:

More than 7,000 police officers have been assigned to protect Mr. Bush.

Also: to answer a question I had earlier in the week, the last US President to visit Bogotá was Ronald Reagan in 1982.

Earlier Stories on Bush’s Visit to Latin America

• Bush in Latin America I (First Stop: Brazil)
• Bush in Latin America II (Protests)
• Bush’s Popularity in Latin America
• Hugo Chávez: Master Showman (More on Bush in Latin America)
• More on Chávismo

Technorati Tags: Latin America, Bush, Colombia, Uribe