News

USIS Washington File

11 January 2000

Text: White House Fact Sheet on Colombia Assistance Package

(U.S. aid to Colombia has five major components)  (520)

The Clinton Administration is proposing an expanded comprehensive
package of assistance to Colombia, designed to complement and support
Colombian President Andres Pastrana's strategy to address his
country's urgent problems, the White House announced January 11.

Following is the text of a White House fact sheet outlining the
details of President Clinton's proposed assistance package to
Colombia:

(begin text of fact sheet)  

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary
(Grand Canyon, Arizona)

January 11, 2000

FACT SHEET

Colombia Assistance Package

Colombia and its democratically elected government are facing an
urgent crisis that has narcotics, military and economic dimensions.
Narco-traffickers in Colombia now supply about 80 percent of the
cocaine used in the United States.

Colombian President Andres Pastrana, who took office in August 1998,
has developed a comprehensive, integrated approach to addressing
Colombia's problems. Plan Colombia would strengthen the Colombian
economy and democracy, and fight narcotics trafficking. The Colombian
government estimates that Plan Colombia will cost $7.5 billion and is
dedicating $4 billion of its own resources. It has also asked for the
participation and help of the United States and other nations.

The United States has a vital interest in the success of this plan.
For this reason, the President is proposing an expanded comprehensive
program; as a result, U.S. support over this year and next will total
more than $1.6 billion.

The five major components of U.S. assistance are:

-- Helping the Colombian Government push into the coca-growing regions
of southern Colombia, which are now dominated by insurgent guerillas.
Funds will help train special counter-narcotics battalions, purchase
30 Blackhawk and 33 Huey helicopters, and provide other support.

-- Upgrading Colombian capability to aggressively interdict cocaine
and cocaine traffickers. Funds will be used for radar, aircraft and
airfield upgrades, and improved anti-narcotics intelligence gathering.

-- Increasing coca crop eradication. The Administration will propose
$96 million to purchase equipment that will enable the Colombian
National Police to eradicate more coca and poppy fields.

-- Promoting alternative crops and jobs. The Administration will
propose $145 million over the next two years to provide economic
alternatives for Colombian farmers who now grow coca and poppy plants.

-- Increasing protection of human rights, expanding the rule of law,
and promoting the peace process. The Administration will propose $93
million for new programs that will help the judicial system, and crack
down on money laundering.

This initiative will be submitted as part of the President's Budget.
It will add to our current support of more than $150 million each year
a $954 million emergency supplemental request for FY 2000, as well as
an increase of in FY 2001 of $318 million.

The Administration looks forward to working with Congress to help
Colombia confront it current problems, while reducing the supply of
drugs coming to the United States to help both their national interest
and our own.

(end text of fact sheet)

(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State)