The Losing War: Plan Colombia and Beyond by Jonathan D. Rosen

Author:Jonathan D. Rosen [Rosen, Jonathan D.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: International Relations, South America, Latin America, Political Science, History, General
ISBN: 9781438453002
Google: BtynBAAAQBAJ
Goodreads: 21819497
Publisher: SUNY Press
Published: 2014-09-30T10:56:25+00:00

Plan Colombia II

Before delving into President Obama’s efforts to desecuritize the war on drugs in Colombia, we need to understand the significant alterations made to change the direction of Plan Colombia starting before the beginning of the Obama administration. In 2007, the National Planning Department (NDP) and Department of Justice and Security (DJS) produce the report “Colombia’s Strategy for Strengthening Democracy and Promoting Social Development (2007–2013).” This report outlines a plan often referred to as Plan Colombia II. Plan Colombia II promoted a rethinking of past efforts and an inversion of Plan Colombia. Plan Colombia II proposed focusing on developmental issues. According to the Miami Herald, “58 percent of the money would go toward economic and social projects, including strengthening human rights and the justice system, long thought to be weak points in the Colombian government.”8

Several Colombian agencies developed Plan Colombia II with ten major goals in mind. The report states, “the Strategy presented by the national government for consideration by the international community has the main goal of consolidating achievements and advancing still further on the main goals of: strengthening democracy, overcoming threats to democratic stability, promoting human rights, promoting economic development and social development, and fighting poverty.”9 Steven Dudley estimated that the plan would cost $43 billion. The authors of Plan Colombia II recognized the successes against the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC) under the Uribe administration, but they emphasized the fact that Colombia needs aid to promote “soft issues,” such as human rights, strengthening democracy, and alternative development. In no particular order, the ten major goals of Plan Colombia II are:

1. Promote alternative development and provide Colombians with other legal alternatives. In addition, the plan seeks to promote environmental awareness and conservation.

2. Consolidate the current accomplishments against the various narco-terrorist organizations.

3. Consolidate territorial control, especially in regions that have experienced extreme levels of violence and conflict.

4. Promote flexibility and cooperation.

5. Promote the efforts to demobilize actors and members in the armed groups.

6. Improve policies against human rights violators.

7. Fight impunity.

8. Improve the economy.

9. Develop and improve social policies.

10. Help individuals displaced as a result of internal conflict and the war on drugs.10

Plan Colombia II represents a critical juncture because it initiated the dialogue regarding the need for a new strategy to combat drug trafficking and address the internal armed conflict. Plan Colombia II failed to make progress and was implemented by neither the United States nor Colombia. For the remainder of his tenure, Uribe sought to combat the narco-terrorists, and he continued to ignore issues such as human rights violations and alternative development. As discussed in the previous chapters, Santos addressed some of the challenges and proposals made in Plan Colombia II. Ultimately, while Plan Colombia II never came to fruition, it represents a critical juncture because it promoted rethinking Plan Colombia and implementing new policies.

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