Matt Fine
Lauran Cario
Joe Torlucci
Christina Petrillo
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Combination of civilian
airport and military base in
Ecuador
1999: US and Ecuador sign
10 year agreement to allow
up to 475 military
personnel at Manta rent
free
About 100 missions per
month flown by US looking
for drug running boats
departing Colombia
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2008: Air attack on FARC rebel camp in
Ecuador
Raúl Reyes (FARC spokesperson) and 24 other
people were killed in the bombing
Speculation that US (via Manta) was involved
"Since Plan Colombia was
launched in 2000, a strategic
alliance between the United
States and Colombia has
taken shape, first to combat
the insurgents and later to
involve neighboring
countries in that war, what
is happening today is a
consequence of that." -- high
level Ecuadorian military
official who preferred to
remain anonymous
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The Manta air base lease clearly stipulated that
the base could only be used for counternarcotics operations
Ecuadorean Foreign Minister María Isabel
Salvador said she had had "a conversation with
(U.S.) Ambassador Linda Jewell who ensured
us that the planes (at the base) were not
involved in any way" in the bombing of the
FARC camp
Ecuadorean Defense
Minister Sandoval declared
that "equipment that the
Latin American armed
forces do not have" was
used in the March 1
bombing.
"They dropped around five 'smart
bombs'," the kind used by the United
States in the First Gulf War (1991),
"with impressive precision and a
margin of error of just one meter, at
night, from planes travelling at high
speeds.”
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William Brownfield (US ambassador to
Colombia) stated that the air base would be
moving from Manta to somewhere in
Colombia on April 14, 2009
The last U.S. military anti-narcotics
surveillance mission from Manta was flown on
July 17, 2009
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120 miles north of
Bogotá.
Speculation this
is location of new
Air Base
“Without a doubt, there are possibilities in
Colombia. Our government could propose and the
host would decide if this type of collaboration is
permitted.” --William Brownfield
“We will continue to do everything possible to
strengthen the help of the United States in the effort
to defeat narcotrafficking. We have not talked about
a military base, we’ve talked the way we always do .
. . about ways to strengthen cooperation.”-- Álvaro
Uribe
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1994-1998
Cali Cartel
Money received for campaign
United States revoked his visa
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1998-2002
Improved relations with the United States
United States pledge- military support to
combat the drug issue (1 billion dollars)
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2002-2010
2000-2004- 2.5 billion more dollars
Big supporter of Plan Colombia
He was concerned about Obama’s 2011 budget
Cut funding for Plan Colombia
by $50 million

Experts say this is a sign of PC
being phased out

2010-present
 Under him, Colombia has been financing more
operations over the US
 Walid Makeld
 US support is no longer in the form of aircraft
and weapons
 “We would like to stop being a
simple country that begs for
help every year”
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Plan Colombia:
-developed during the
years of 1998 and 1999
-implemented by former
President Pastrana (19982002)
-6 year plan to end
Colombia’s drug trafficking
and promote economic and
social development
The Andean Counterdrug Initiative
(ACI):
-Primary U.S. program that supports PC
-From 2000-2005: PC received $2.8 billion
from ACI
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Foreign Military Financing (FMF)
-U.S. government program that
provides grants and loans
-supports regional stability
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U.S. Department of Defense (DOD)
-When FMF & DOD assistance is
included, total U.S. support to Colombia
is about $4.5 billion
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U.S. vs. COLOMBIA
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Elected in 1998
Promised to end 40-year conflict
in Colombia
Committed to promoting peace
in Colombia
Went to the U.S. to promote his
Plan Colombia
 Clinton administration
supported a peace process
in Colombia initially
 claimed it was too vague and
not linked to the main
concerns of U.S. political
agenda
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Drug Flow into US
Cultivation of Drug Crops
Violence and Crime
Armed Conflict
Economic Development
Promotion of Democracy, Law an Human
Rights
Regional Stability
US Disengagement
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Cocaine and Heroin availability, price and
purity has remained stable.
90% of cocaine entering US comes from Colombia
 Higher prices would mean decreased supply
 Prices fell in 25 US cities
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US officials argue that drug interdiction takes
time
Also say that traffickers can absorb the increase
of cost
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Office of National Drug Control Policy says
cocaine purity as of 2005 is the same it was in
1980’s.
Heroin purity is has increased since the 1980’s.
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The US State Dept and UN report a decrease in
acreage used to grow drugs in Colombia since
2001.
The Manual and Aerial eradication efforts
appear to be working
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ONDCP estimates a decrease from 460 to 430 metric
tons since new plants are less productive
More and more Colombians have been taking
part in US funded programs to grow crops
other than coca.
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Critics claim coca production has been
displaced to neighboring countries such as
Bolivia.
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Also say spraying efforts not 100% effective since
crops can be replanted and doesn’t always kill the
plant.
US figures say cultivation acreage dropped 7%;
UN says it dropped 50%.
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Public safety has improved
Police once again have a presence in every town
 Colombians have more confidence in travel now
 Increased number of officers
 Decreased number of kidnappings; however
Colombia still has the highest rate in the world
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The FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia)
 heavily involved in drug trade
The Colombian Army launched “Plan Patriota” to
recapture FARC controlled territory.
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Viewed as a success, reduced members of the FARC from
18,000 to 12,000 in one year (according the Colombian Military)
Destroyed 400 FARC camps
Critics say that because of very difficult terrain, it may
be impossible to completely destroy the FARC.
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They also say the military is too involved in intra state affairs,
acting like a police-like org.
This would never be allowed in the US
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Greater security has led to greater confidence
in the Colombian economy.
In 2004, Colombia had the best performing
stock market in the world
Oil production accounts for 28% of exports
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It decreased recently because of armed conflict and
attacks on pipelines
Oil exploration has been hindered by attacks and the
lack of security in areas
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US State Dept says some progress has been
made, but many serious problems still exist.
In 2004 there were between 3,000 and 4,000
civilian deaths
The judicial system is “inefficient and subject to
intimidation and corruption by terrorist groups
and common criminals
Although the military was still controlled by
civilians, there were still instances of human
rights violations and cooperation with
paramilitary groups.
Do you think that U.S. involvement in
Colombia has helped or hindered
democracy and social development?
What will the relationship be between the
United States and Columbia in the
upcoming years?
Has Planned Colombia really been
beneficial to the Colombia citizens?