Colombia's war on drugs

Abstract

There is strong support in the incoming US administration for the $7.5 billion Plan Colombia aimed at eradicating Colombia's drug business and boosting its economic and social development. But the international community is divided over the plan's likely effectiveness. Many EU countries fear that the programme will exacerbate the root causes of Colombia's instability. They have been unwilling to support a strategy that involves special military units and sophisticated equipment. Most South American governments have also distanced themselves from the scheme, fearing it could cause regional violence to spread.