COLOMBIA DESERVES U.S. SUPPORT

President Alvaro Uribe of Colombia is visiting Washington again this
week -- to urge U.S. support for a bilateral trade agreement and for
continued U.S. aid to his country. His efforts should not be necessary
because support for Colombia is in the national interest of the United
States.

Colombia has been the largest recipient of U.S. aid in Latin America
since the Clinton administration provided a special assistance package
to support democracy and to counter the threat posed to that country
by illegal drugs -- which fueled the insurgent groups, paramilitaries,
and criminal gangs.

Progress has been impressive. Colombia's armed forces and police have
rolled back the power of the insurgents and paramilitaries,
establishing a permanent government presence in every municipality of
Colombia for the first time. The security situation is much better:
Homicides, kidnappings, terrorist attacks, massacres and forced
displacements have fallen sharply. The steep rise in coca and opium
poppy cultivation that took place during the 1990s was halted and then
reversed, keeping billions of dollars out of the hands of criminals
and illegal armed groups.

'Justice And Peace' Law

Following negotiations with paramilitary leaders and by means of a
"Justice and Peace" law, the Uribe government achieved the
demobilization of some 30,000 paramilitaries. Under this law,
demobilized fighters are liable to criminal prosecution for crimes and
drug trafficking and are subject to asset forfeiture. Talks aimed at
disbanding the insurgent ELN group are underway.

The improved security environment in Colombia has fueled strong
economic growth. Last year Colombia signed a trade promotion agreement
with the U.S. that will benefit both countries. Economic growth
creates more jobs in the legitimate economy, undercutting the lure of
the drug sector.

Both the Clinton and Bush administrations understood that stability in
Colombia is a key factor in regional security, with profound
implications for the United States. But bipartisan support for
Colombia is melting. Critics of the Uribe government in Congress have
held up approval of the bilateral trade agreement, focusing on the
issue of labor rights in Colombia, which they claim are inadequate and
on the unsolved murders of Colombian trade union members.

Uribe critics also call into question continued U.S. assistance to
Colombia, pointing to human rights problems and past ties between
important pro-Uribe political figures and paramilitary groups.

There is no question that serious human rights problems remain in
Colombia, but the situation has steadily improved. While most
violations are perpetrated by illegally armed groups, government
security forces were still responsible for multiple extrajudicial
killings during 2006. The government of Colombia must continue to give
highest-priority attention to human rights, but the U.S. must also
recognize the clearly positive trend in recent years.

Colombia's hard-pressed judicial system has been further challenged by
the paramilitary demobilization process. There is much concern that
demobilized "paras" could turn to crime and drug trafficking, putting
pressure on the Uribe government to effectively monitor their
activities. But demobilization has taken thousands of fighters off the
books and resulted in lower levels of violence.

It should be no surprise to anybody familiar with Colombian history
that ties have existed between the paramilitaries and the armed forces
and political class. Since taking office in 2002, however, President
Uribe made it clear that he would not tolerate collusion between
paramilitaries and the armed forces and has taken steps to cashier
those who disobeyed. The demobilization of paramilitaries has
generated a flood of information regarding their illegal activities,
including ties to politicians, and Colombia's independent attorney
general is following up with legal action against them. Revelations of
ties between some pro-Uribe politicians and paramilitaries, rather
than a black mark against the President, instead demonstrate that
Uribe is serious about countering the threat posed by the "paras."

Trade Good For The U.S., Too

Finally, rejection of the trade agreement with Colombia will not
improve the situation of workers in that country or strengthen
democracy, but instead will limit Colombia's attractiveness for needed
investment and set back economic growth. It would also drive a wedge
between the United States and one of its best friends in Latin America
and send a profoundly negative signal to the rest of the Americas of
U.S. disinterest in the region, lending credence to those such as Hugo
Chavez who preach an anti-U.S. message.

Colombia deserves U.S. support, and it is in the national interest of
the United States to provide it.

Peter DeShazo is director of the Americas Program at the Center for
Strategic and International Studies in Washington. He was formerly
deputy assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs.