COLOMBIA FACES STRONG PUSH TO LEGALISE DRUGS

A growing number of influential Colombians, sickened by the damage that
drugs trafficking is doing to their country, are stepping up criticism of
US-backed counter-narcotics policies and pushing for legalisation of drugs
as a solution.

Colombia at times has been treated like a pariah because it is the source
of most of the world's cocaine and a growing amount of heroin. But
advocates of an end to prohibition contend that Colombia - ravaged by some
of the world's worst violence and insecurity - is itself the biggest
casualty of the "war on drugs".

Global prohibition, they say, has driven the trade's huge profits and given
drug traffickers the wealth and power to corrupt or murder anyone who stood
in their way. Over the past two decades, hundreds of leading politicians,
judges, police, and soldiers have died trying to confront Colombia's
violent and wealthy drugs cartels.

Profits from drugs have also become a vital source of financing for the
country's guerrilla and paramilitary groups - even though the rebels of the
Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc) say they also favour drugs
legalisation.

Colombia's civil war has been compared to some African conflicts that are
fuelled by the struggle to control trade in diamonds or other valuable
natural resources.

"From the 1990s onwards, the guerrillas and paramilitaries have grown
incredibly because of the money coming from narco-trafficking," says
senator Viviane Morales, author of a bill that calls for drug legalisation.
"The main ally of narco-trafficking is prohibition."

Such arguments have gathered force in recent weeks. Various other
parliamentarians want to ease curbs on drugs, while some provincial
governors have also spoken up in favour of decriminalising the drugs trade.
They say it could help to solve Colombia's conflict by cutting away at its
financial support.

The huge state resources now being devoted to curbing drugs trafficking
could also be used to improve social conditions, they argue - reducing
support for the armed insurgency.

A former UK ambassador to Colombia has also said the country's interests
would be better served by legalisation than by an unwinnable drugs war.

Such calls fly in the face of the tough measures being promoted by the US
in Colombia with the co-operation of President Andres Pastrana's
government. Under a $1.3bn (?900m) package of largely military aid from the
US, thousands of hectares of illegal coca and poppy crops, which produce
the raw ingredients for cocaine and heroin, are being destroyed with aerial
spraying of herbicide.

The US insists this aggressive campaign poses no threat to human or
environmental well-being. But the swooping of the crop-spraying aircraft
over poor rural communities, wiping out livelihoods, is proving
controversial and has stimulated the current legalisation debate,
emboldening those who favour an end to prohibition.

But the efforts of Ms Morales and others are unlikely to succeed. They do
not enjoy backing from the government. Nor have any leading presidential
candidates for next year's elections supported legalisation, although Luis
Eduardo Garzon, a leftwing trade unionist candidate who trails in polls, is
a supporter.

"I'm against legalisation and frankly it seems useless to me to argue that
decision from Colombia," said Horacio Serpa, the well-supported candidate
from Ms Morales' own Liberal party, in his regular magazine column.

Even many supporters of legalisation admit a unilateral decriminalisation
by Colombia would have little or no effect.

However, Guillermo Gaviria, governor of powerful Antioquia province, says
Colombia should use its "moral authority" to lead international debate on
legalisation. "Colombia cannot go on being the victim of the wrong,
shortsighted attitude of countries that judge us superficially," he says.
"Our society didn't choose to be part of the conflict."

Gustavo Socha, director of the anti-narcotics police, has written that
legalisation of drugs "would betray the sacrifice" of the hundreds who have
died trying to battle the cartels. But Ms Morales says: "We cannot go on
counting the deaths of the past to justify the deaths of the future. We
need to stop this war, quickly." For regional reports, www.ft.com/americas