Plan Columbia May Not Work

"Plan Colombia," is the multi-billion dollar drug eradication, counter-narcotics, and counterinsurgency program that was established by the Colombian Government, with the help of more than $3.13 billion of US military and economic aid ? including $743 million this year alone, and up to $688 million for 2004, more than half of all US total aid to Latin America. Indeed, Colombia now ranks third in world among all US foreign aid recipients, behind only Israel and Egypt.

A secret CIA report obtained by FOI request suggests that, even apart from its other harmful side-effects, Plan Colombia may actually just spread coca production and cocaine trafficking, as well as political instability and even guerilla activity, to other parts of Colombia, and to other Andean countries like Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Venezuela.