EU PARLIAMENT SLAPS DOWN PLAN COLOMBIA

BRUSSELS, Belgium -- The European Parliament voted overwhelmingly Thursday
against Colombia's blueprint for battling rebel guerillas and drug lords,
saying the path to peace lies in dialogue and land reform.

By a 474-1 vote, Euro MPs urged the European Union to pursue "its own,
non-military strategy combining neutrality, transparency, the participation
of civil society and undertakings from the parties involved in negotiations."

"Lasting peace cannot be achieved in Colombia without deep-seated changes
to the means by which wealth is distributed," it said, "since many of the
problems confronting the country stem from the fact that peasant farmers do
not own land."

The EU parliament's slapdown of Plan Colombia came 10 days after Colombia
President Andres Pastrana, on a visit to Paris, urged Europeans to support
his comprehensive peace plan with 750 million euros (700 million dollars)
over the next three years.

While the Euro MPs' resolution is not binding on the 15 EU member states,
it will weigh on the minds of EU foreign ministers who in October
reaffirmed the European Union's willingness to play an active role in peace
talks.

The United States is already contributing 1.3 billion dollars to Plan
Colombia, including Black Hawk helicopters that critics say will escalate
Bogota's war against rebel groups.

Brussels hosts a donor conference for Colombia later this month.

In its resolution, the European Parliament said: "Stepping up military
involvement in the fight against drugs involves the risk of sparking off an
escalation of the conflict in the region."

"Military solutions cannot bring about lasting peace," it said.

"The European Union must support the aspects of the peace process which
involve the strengthening of institutions, alternate development,
humanitarian aid and social development," it continued.