Article: Secretary Powell to Visit Peru and Colombia September 10-11

07 September 2001

Article: Secretary Powell to Visit Peru and Colombia September 10-11

Focus on OAS Democratic Charter, Plan Colombia support

By Vanessa Clarke and Berta Gomez
Washington File Staff Writers

Washington -- Secretary of State Colin Powell is traveling to Peru and Colombia September 10-11 to attend a meeting of the Organization of American States (OAS) and to underscore U.S. support for Colombia's efforts to combat the illicit drug trade and restore civil order.

In Lima, Powell will lead the U.S. delegation to a special session of the OAS General Assembly. OAS foreign ministers are expected to give their final approval to the Inter-American Democratic Charter, which affirms the commitment of member states to a series of democratic principles and establishes procedures for the organization to follow when democracy is at risk.

The charter "flatly asserts that the people of the Americas have a right to democratic government," U.S. Ambassador to the OAS Roger Noriega told reporters September 7. It specifies that any "alteration" or "interruption" that seriously impairs the democratic order will be seen as "an insurmountable obstacle" to a country's participation in the inter-American system, he said.

Noriega noted that the document to be reviewed by foreign ministers in Lima is a refined version of the draft text approved by the General Assembly in Costa Rica in June.

By delaying final approval from June to September, delegates were able to consult more fully with their governments, as well as with representatives of non-governmental organizations, Noriega said. The final text is thus the product of "thorough debate and consensus," he stressed. "This is multilateralism that works."

He said that the consultation period had permitted extensive discussion on the charter's provisions for dealing with risks to democracy in the hemisphere. The document offers "a prescription for a gradual approach" that allows governments to ask for support from the OAS when they feel their institutions are faltering, Noriega said. It also prescribes a gradual approach in the event of actual crises.

"It is clear that this is not intended to sanction countries" when they face problems, but rather to help them avoid those problems altogether, Noriega said.

He also told reporters that Secretary Powell and other foreign ministers are expected to approve the charter in its current form, given that governments have had ample opportunity to suggest revisions.

Following the OAS meeting, Powell will travel to Colombia for consultations with President Andres Pastrana and other key government officials. Aides say that he also expects to hold talks with members of the Colombian National Police, the Colombian Armed Forces high command, human rights activists, and representatives of the development community.

According to Deputy Assistant Secretary of State William Brownfield, Powell will likely emphasize the United States' determination to "stay the course" in its support for Plan Colombia, which is Pastrana's comprehensive strategy for fighting illegal drug trafficking and restoring civil order.

Brownfield said that the United States remains firm in its support for the peace process in Colombia, and is simultaneously calling on the guerrillas of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) to support the process and negotiate in good faith. During his recent visit to Colombia, U.S. Under Secretary of State Marc Grossman criticized the FARC for "abusing" the peace process, Brownfield pointed out.

Powell's talks in Colombia are also expected to focus on the U.S. position that respect for human rights is crucial to a resolution of the crisis, as is the need for an aggressive approach to the drug problem, Brownfield said.

"It is impossible to envision a solution to Colombia's crisis" that does not address the rampant drug production and trafficking, he said.

The U.S. program of support for Plan Colombia was launched in 2000, when Congress approved former President Clinton's request for a $1,300 million contribution to the Pastrana Government's strategy for fighting illegal drug trafficking and restoring civil order.

The Bush Administration has continued U.S. support for Plan Colombia, and has asked Congress for $882 million for a proposed Andean Regional Initiative (ARI) that would fund additional development and counter-drug assistance to Colombia and to six other neighboring countries: Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Brazil and Panama.

Brownfield told reporters that upon his return to the United States, Powell would consult with key members of the U.S. Congress. "We hope we will have a congressional commitment to an Andean Regional Initiative bill" soon thereafter, Brownfield said.

The official dismissed a reporter's suggestion that Plan Colombia has failed to better the situation in Colombia, countering that the program has over the past year produced "better than expected" results.

In the southern department of Putumayo, an estimated 25,000 hectares of coca crop have been sprayed, and 35,000 farmers have agreed to sign up for alternative development assistance in exchange for giving up their coca production, Brownfield said. He also pointed out that three battalions of the new counter-drug brigades in Colombia are now operational. "In purely numerical terms, this is substantial progress," Brownfield said.