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Latin America & Caribbean / Comment

US foreign policy towards Latin America's oldest guerrilla group

04/07/2008 By Sebastián Chaskel

The United States has long had an interest in stemming the flow of drugs, supporting democracy, neutralizing terrorist groups, and helping bring long-lasting peace to Colombia and stability to the region. Colombia’s unique position as a continuous democracy, which is unable to rid its territory of drug traffickers and terrorists, has made it the United States’ natural ally since the 1980s. The FARC, as a narco-trafficking terrorist group, has consistently been at the centre of this policy.

Regardless, US policy should not support an attempt at a military solution to Colombia’s conflict. While some factions of the FARC have most likely been corrupted by the narcotics trade and would not negotiate or demobilize, this itself is a virtue of a successful negotiation: it would separate the FARC’s ideological fighters from drug traffickers. As Colombia’s major ally, the United States should use its leverage with the Colombian government to press Uribe to fulfil his initial plan to end the conflict through a negotiated solution. By doing so, the United States would be supporting an end to the FARC that minimizes bloodshed and addresses the root causes of Colombia’s conflict.

US policy also needs to adapt to the region’s growing interest in resolving its own problems. As the Colombian conflict develops a growing international dynamic, it will be all the more important for Latin Americans to craft a regional response and for the process not to be jeopardized by the United States’ over-involvement.


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Keywords

Civil war Colombia Conflict resolution United States

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Bio author: Sebastián Chaskel