| COLOMBIA: TERRORISM IN OUR BACK YARD |
| Written by Maria Elena Salinas |
| Tuesday, December 14 2004 |
| |
| While the world is understandably horrified by images of American and other foreign hostages in Iraq, we don't have to go that far to witness the effects of terrorism. An average of eight kidnappings a day take place in Colombia, a country in our own hemisphere. In Iraq, hostages are savagely beheaded. In Colombia, they are blown to pieces with collar bombs or shot to death if family members fail to pay exorbitant ransoms. Kidnappings have cost Colombia's government and civilians $260 million in the past seven years.
In Iraq, kidnappings take place for political reasons -- deep divisions that exist in the country and the ever-increasing U.S. military presence, which is opposed by many Iraqis. In Colombia, kidnappings take place for money, avarice and vengeance. In Iraq, the kidnappers might be insurgents, in some cases motivated by religion. In Colombia, they can be guerrillas motivated by politics, or common criminals motivated by greed.
For years, Colombian leaders have been warning neighboring Latin American nations about terrorism and drug trafficking spreading to other countries in the region. Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, whose own father was killed by leftist rebels, has been especially proactive in this regard. But it appears that the warning has fallen on deaf ears.
During his recent visit to the Colombian coastal city of Cartagena, President George W. Bush seemed to reinforce Colombia's long-standing warning to its neighbors. Standing alongside President Uribe -- Mr. Bush's newfound amigo -- the American president spoke of his commitment to helping Colombia's struggle against terrorism and drug trafficking. Now we must see if his promises are backed up by action. In other words, whether he can get Congress to increase funding for Plan Colombia, an initiative designed to block the spread of drug trafficking.
The reality is that Venezuela, Panama, Ecuador, Peru and Brazil -- all countries that share borders with Colombia -- must start to seriously look at the fight against communist guerrillas, drug traffickers and right-wing paramilitary forces as a regional problem, not as a Colombian phenomenon. It's time for those countries to organize a regional force to combat the problem and develop programs that encourage international cooperation.
For decades, Colombians have been living with a civil war that has impacted virtually every one of its 42 million inhabitants. The casualty toll stands at 35,000 killed and more than 2 million disappeared. The Colombian civil war has seen the eradication of entire villages and the destruction of much of the country's electrical system, and has converted thousands of children into guerrilla fighters. I can't imagine that anyone would want that same scenario to repeat itself in nearly half a dozen neighboring countries.
"In Colombia, we do not need rhetoric, we need action," said Colombian Defense Minister Jorge Alberto Uribe at a recent international forum. It is a point well taken, but it's not enough for the foreign ministers of the region to meet, pose for a photo op and sign a document denouncing terrorism.
During his last visit to Florida International University, President Uribe was asked by several Colombian-Americans why the country does not devote more money to social programs and less to military expenditures. The president answered that without combating terrorism, it would be impossible for any social programs to exist.
That is exactly what neighboring Latin American nations need to be concerned about. They could see the deterioration of their social order and way of life if the Colombian reality crosses the border to their countries. For them, it's more than offering a helping hand to a neighbor in need -- their own peace and security are at stake.
So far, the only response to Colombia's call for regional cooperation has come from Venezuela and Ecuador, which have agreed to increase military vigilance in their own territories by cutting supply routes for guerrilla groups and drug traffickers. But that is not enough. Let's not forget that the threat of al-Qaida terrorism was ignored for too long. We cannot afford the luxury of ignoring another terrorist threat that could put the whole hemisphere at risk. |
