BRAZIL WORRIED OF AID TO COLOMBIA

SAO PAULO, Brazil (AP) -- Brazil is worried that the possible use of
defoliants in Colombia' s U.S.-backed plan to combat drug production
could damage its Amazon rain forest, a Foreign Ministry official said
Thursday.

The environmental impact of the strategy -- called Plan Colombia -- was
discussed at a Wednesday meeting attended by Foreign Minister Luiz
Felipe Lampreia, Justice Minister Jose Gregori and Defense Minister
Geraldo Quintao.

" No one involved with Plan Colombia has said that defoliants, napalm
and other chemical agents will be used, " said the official, who spoke
on condition of anonymity. " But no one is denying their possible use
to destroy coca plantations."

Colombia is expected to launch the offensive against drug smugglers
soon. On Tuesday, President Clinton signed a waiver that allows $1.3
billion in aid to be sent to Colombia even though the country has not
met all the human rights conditions set by Congress. The aid includes
18 Black Hawk helicopters and 42 Huey 2 helicopters, along with money
to train and equip Colombia' s police and military.

The possible use of defoliants has Brazilian environmentalists worried,
as well.

" It would be disastrous, " said Adalberto Verissimo, research
director the environmental organization, Imazon. " It would obviously
wipe out vegetation and untold numbers of animal species."

Brazilian officials said they backed the plan, except for any foreign
military involvement.

The Plan Colombia, which was proposed by Colombian President Andres
Pastrana, also includes financing for programs to reduce poverty, wean
farmers off growing coca and help ongoing peace talks with powerful
leftist guerrillas.

Also worrying Brazilian officials is the possibility that Colombian
guerillas fleeing the offensive will cross the border or that drug
traffickers will simply shift their cocaine-producing plantations
across the border into Brazil' s vast Amazon jungle.

The official would not confirm a report by newspaper Folha de Sao
Paulo over the weekend that Brazil had already begun beefing up
security along its 960-mile border with Colombia.