PLAN COLOMBIA A CLEAR SUCCESS

The Sept. 19 Commentary piece by Martin Lepkowski, "Plan Colombia:
Poisoning a country," cites misleading information regarding U.S.
counter-drug policy in Colombia, and ignores overwhelming evidence of
Plan Colombia's success.

The U.S.-funded aerial-eradication campaign against coca -- the raw
ingredient for cocaine -- produced a dramatic 33-percent decline in
the past two years alone. The "chemical fire" Mr. Lepkowski accuses
the United States of using to eradicate coca is actually glyphosate, a
common herbicide, which biodegrades upon contact with soil and can be
purchased in any hardware store in America.

In fact, the real environmental damage being inflicted on Colombia
stems from the chemicals and fertilizer used in the production of
cocaine itself. For every acre of coca produced, about 600 pounds of
gasoline, ammonia, sulfuric acid, insecticide, fungicide and
fertilizer are dumped into Colombia's ecosystem.

Mr. Lepkowski also fails to mention the fact that President Alavaro
Uribe (whose popular support among Colombians has remained at over 70
percent) provided more than 22,558 Colombian families with
alternative-development aid, and has aided over a million internally
displaced citizens. Thanks to Uribe's steadfast leadership and
increased security, terror attacks and kidnappings of innocent people
in Colombia have also dropped dramatically.

Reducing the demand for drugs in the United States is crucial. In
fact, almost half of the U.S. federal drug-control budget goes toward
prevention and treatment programs, aimed at reducing drug consumption.
We're making progress. Overall youth drug use in America has declined
by 11 percent over the past two years -- more proof that when we push
back against our hemispheric drug problem, it gets smaller.

Rafael Lemaitre

Washington