S. AMERICAN LEADERS GIVE QUALIFIED SUPPORT TO PLAN COLOMBIA

BRASILIA, Sept. 1. South America's 12 heads of state endorsed Colombia's
peace process today but stopped short of unconditional support for its
U.S.-backed plan to combat drug trafficking and end a four-decade-old civil
war.

In a statement at the end of a two-day summit conference, the heads of
state offered qualified support of the $7.5 billion Plan Colombia, which
combines military efforts and social and economic development to fight drug
trafficking and production. The United States is contributing $1.3 billion,
most of it for military equipment and training.

The four-paragraph statement praised courageous measures' taken by
Colombian President Andres Pastrana but did not mention his plan or any
military efforts to end the war between the Colombian army and leftist
guerrilla forces.

Garnering support from his colleagues was Pastrana's top priority at the
meeting here in Brazil's capital. Colombia's South American
neighbors…Brazil, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela…have expressed concerns in
recent weeks about the possibility of Colombia's war pushing drug
trafficking, refugees and fleeing rebels onto their territories as the army
intensifies the conflict.

The United Nations reported today, for instance, that some 500 Colombians
fled a northeastern town for Venezuela this week after an attack by a
right-wing paramilitary group.

Since arriving in Brasilia Thursday afternoon, Pastrana has met
individually with leaders of neighboring countries and tried to assuage
their fears. This morning, after breakfast with Pastrana, Venezuelan
President Hugo Chavez set the tone for the day when he said he is willing
to support Plan Colombia "as long as it's a peace plan."

Pastrana said at a news conference that he is pleased with the support for
Colombia's peace efforts, but he continued to emphasize the entire region's
role in ending drug trafficking. "It's a problem that affects the life not
only of Colombia, but Peru, Brazil, America, Europe," he told reporters.
"We have to work together to fight this common enemy."

One summit participant, who described the presidents' talks with Pastrana
as very frank,' said that initially the atmosphere among the leaders was
tense because several heads of state thought Colombia had not provided
enough information about Plan Colombia. The participant said the leaders
agreed to endorse the plan only after demanding that Pastrana make it
"absolutely, unequivocally clear" that there would be no military
intervention by the United States.

The first-ever meeting of the South American presidents, convened by
Brazilian President Fernando Henrique Cardoso, was primarily an attempt to
encourage greater economic integration through improved infrastructure,
information technology and trade. In a communique, the leaders pledged to
begin talks to merge their two trade blocs…Mercosur and the Andean
Community…into a continent-wide free-trade zone.