The recent visit of presidential candidate Senator John McCain to Colombia, the dramatic rescue of 15 hostages held by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), and a subsequent visit to the United States by Colombian Defense Minister Santos, have all placed the Colombian Government and its approach to dealing with the violence in that country in the media spotlight. A common theme to these moments has been the notion, put forth by the Senator and the Minister, and repeated by our own Defense Secretary Gates, that the Colombian government has made overwhelming successes in their fight against illegal armed groups, and that "victory is on the horizon." While it is no doubt true that the Government of Colombia has achieved remarkable success in creating a safe and secure environment in many of the major cities, Colombia has still seen a dramatic increase in the number of internally displaced people in the last two years, and it still ranks highest in the world in the numbers of new land mine accident survivors.urvivors.
It is troubling that while the Defense Minister and his allies in Congress see fit to congratulate themselves on their remarkable success, they do not mention the most serious humanitarian crisis in the Western Hemisphere. Unfortunately, Colombia, one of the United States' strongest allies in South America, has embraced the attitude and policy of the Bush administration to emphasize military solutions to all of its problems. A recent report circulated by the Colombian Ministry of Defense to the State Department and Congress urgently argues against cutting any of the military support that the United States provides, saying that this will undermine their efforts against terrorism. However, the report makes no mention of the word displacement, conveniently leaving out the victims of the terror they wish to eradicate. Clearly, narco-trafficking and violence associated with it requires a comprehensive approach. Unfortunately, the Colombian government seems concerned solely with military hardware and technology and chooses to leave responding to the needs of its citizens to its civilian agency, Acción Social, and the international community. The United States administration, and the members of Congress who care deeply about Colombia would do well to emphasize to our allies in Colombia that in order to truly reach peace and prosperity, the Colombian government needs to extend its civil and social reach to all its citizens with as much energy and gusto as it has extended its military reach. chooses to leave responding to the needs of its citizens to its civilian agency, Acción Social, and the international community. The United States administration, and the members of Congress who care deeply about Colombia would do well to emphasize to our allies in Colombia that in order to truly reach peace and prosperity, the Colombian government needs to extend its civil and social reach to all its citizens with as much energy and gusto as it has extended its military reach.
--Jake Kurtzer
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
A Lebanese displaced woman takes a nap in a school in Tripoli, northern Lebanon, July 30, 2008. In Tripoli's most deprived areas, Lebanon's lingering political troubles are being fought out in ...
