Analysis of Articles Opposing American Aid to Columbia

Analysis of Articles Opposing American Aid to Columbia

In “Are We ‘Salvadorizing’ Colombia?”, Garry M. Leech claims that the current situation in Colombia is a replicate description of Salvador in the 1980’s. He explains how the Clinton Administration imitated Ronal Regan’s Administration during the 1980s. “Plan Colombia: A Closer Look”, also by Garry M. Leech, claims that the aid given to Colombia by the US government will not “end Colombia’s civil war, retrieve the nation’s economy nor put the narco-traffickers out of business”. The $1.3 billion aid package is divide, not to benefit the Colombian people but rather benefit the Colombian’s political and economic elite. In this essay, I will analyze this two academic articles relative to the current political situation in Colombia and its direct relation with the United States’ Agency for International Development (USAID).

Garry M. Leech is very detailed when pointing out evidence to support his claims. He points out, in “Are We ‘Salvadorizing’ Colombia?”, that during the 1980s the Regan Administration used the Cold War to justify its support to the Salvadoran government; while, the Clinton Administration used cocaine to justify its support to the Colombian government. According to this article, the threat of drug trade in the US should not be confused with the current civil war in Colombia. He supports these arguments with historical evidence by stating that this civil war began as a fight for the repressive Colombian Government during the 1950s; meanwhile, the drug war began with the boom of cocaine in the 1970s. This evidence is again used in “Plan Colombia: A Closer Look” to support Leech’s claim that “eliminating the violence related to drug trade will do little to solve the underlying political, social, and economical problems that have been the real cause of all the violence that has occurred throughout Colombian history.” Leech assumes that the modern reader is aware of the misconceptions caused by the fear of communism during the Cold War. He relates this with the Colombian case, trying to sympathize with the reader, and making them believe that it is wrong approach to fight the drug war.

Another important claim mentioned is the relation between the Colombian military and the paramilitaries; therefore, the indirect relation with drug trade and human rights violation. In “Plan Colombia: A Closer Look”, he states that 80% of the USAID package is going to the Colombian military and police force.