"TRAFFIC" HAS TOUCHED A NERVE

BOGOTA -- Colombia is asking for more than just guns in its fight against
the drug barons

When Colombian president Andres Pastrana visited Washington the other day
to meet George W. Bush, he made sure to do his homework. Before the
meeting, friends arranged for a special showing of the movie Traffic -
required viewing for anyone concerned about the current state of US drug
policy, especially for someone on the receiving end, like Mr Pastrana.

Colombia's drug war is one of the top foreign policy issues facing
President Bush in his early days in the White House. Last year Congress
passed $ 1.3 billion in mostly military aid for "Plan Colombia", the
world's largest-ever counter-drug offensive. An American-financed crop
eradication programme is under way, backed by helicopter gunships and newly
trained troops. Their early focus has been on the south of the country
where coca cultivation is most intense and the cocaine industry fuels an
ever-more violent conflict between left-wing guerrillas and rival
paramilitaries.

But Colombia is seeking to broaden social and economic support for its
anti-drug efforts. Officials stress that Plan Colombia was not designed as
a purely military action. Its success relies as much on international
financial aid for social and economic development, human rights education
and strengthening of the local judiciary. But so far Bogota has received
only token offers of support from Japan and the European Community, which
have at least as much to lose from Colombia's drugs barons.

Colombian officials are growing increasingly frustrated, not to say
desperate. "Colombia is fulfilling its side of the bargain to eradicate
coca," Fernando Medellin, director of the government-run Social Solidarity
Network, told me. His agency provides emergency assistance to conflict
zones. "We accepted our responsibility as the producer of drugs, but we
expected more from the drug consumer nations," he added. "So far the only
non-military help we are getting is from the US, and so far we haven't seen
much of that."

Colombians point out that Europe's unease at the US acting as world drug
cop cannot hide its own growing responsibility for the drug trade. Latest
reports indicate that drug consumption is rising fast in Europe, compared
to a drop in demand in America.

Colombia has announced ambitious plans costing $ 7.5 billion, including
humanitarian assistance, road building, job creation schemes and
agricultural development, to help to wean local peasants away from planting
coca. Pastrana has pledged his country will contribute $ 4 billion of its
own money, something few observers believe is realistic given Colombia's
current economic recession.

The US is chipping in with $ 1.3 billion. But almost 80 per cent of that is
for military aid, with only $ 260 million for social and economic projects.
In October last year the European Union came up with between $ 180-$ 221
million, to be directed exclusively to non-governmental organisations
working in Colombia. Spain has independently offered $ 100 million.

It's clear that such lukewarm support is hardly going to get the job done.
American and European critics of Plan Colombia have legitimate concerns
about the military approach to the drug problem. They worry about human
rights abuses and government corruption. The truth is that Colombia has for
too long tolerated an unequal society in which the elite city-dwellers have
ignored the social needs of the rural poor. Political corruption and
bureaucracy gobbles up any money that might be available for economic
development.

"I'm aware we have problems," Defence Minister Luis Ramirez told me during
a frank interview in his office. "What frustrates me is that we need help
to improve. Instead all we get is criticism. It's a little unfair." He
pointed to changes within the Colombian military, which is undergoing a
series of sweeping internal reforms to create a more effective fighting force.

It seems to be working. Human rights complaints have fallen dramatically.
The military has also begun to score some notable combat victories. "It's
just the beginning," says Alfredo Rangel, a Defence Ministry consultant and
one of Colombia's top military analysts. "The military have achieved a lot
in a relatively short time. But there's still a lot to do."

In an unprecedented move, the Defence Ministry unceremoniously dismissed
388 officers in October. Military experts concur that the long-overdue
reform package is making a difference. "It's a tremendous step forward,"
says Dennis Rempe, a Canadian military scholar who is studying the
Colombian armed forces. "This is not a military problem; it's about
nation-building," he says.

Curiously, while Europe has its head in the sand, the Americans may be the
ones getting the message. There are signs that the new Bush administration
may be considering a new approach. A Pentagon assessment to be issued later
this month urges the administration to move beyond the "US fixation on
narcotics trafficking", and to focus instead on "reinforcing democratic
governance and working collectively to solve sub-regional problems".

A Congressional task force recently came to a similar conclusion. It called
for long-term help in reforming the judiciary, attacking corruption and
addressing poverty, education and healthcare. Maybe Traffic has touched a
nerve. But will Europe wake up, too?