Issue & Objective
The United States primary policy issue with the Colombia is the worrying high percentages of the drug traffic and production smuggled to the U.S through the past years; as a consequence of, the Colombia status as the world’s principal cocaine-production nation. During 2000 and 2010, drug users in the United States spend on the order of $100 billion annually on cocaine, heroin, marijuana, and methamphetamine, but in 2000, much more money was spent on cocaine than marijuana; in 2010 the opposite was true (estimation). However, the drug traffic is not the only U.S policy issue with Colombia. The civil war against insurgent groups in Colombia had been a critical battle, that U.S has been supporting. The armed conflict in Colombia gave it an era of terrorism, deteriorating the socially, economically, and politically development. The FARC, which is the largest left-wing of Colombia and one of the world’s richest guerrilla armies, imposed a totalitarian regime and control over the country. Nevertheless, the U.S national interests are mostly affected when the insurgent groups in Colombia take over the dug traffic as their primary financial resource. Consequently, the U.S relation with Colombia turned toward a financial aid to combat the civil war in Colombia. The leading objective of United States policy issue is to the enforcement the reduction of drug addiction and the supply of narcotics smuggled to the United States. …show more content…
However, in order to accomplish and combat the drug traffic, the U.S efforts inquire to focus in wrestle the civil war in Colombia against the insurgent groups, mainly the FARC since Colombia is. Nevertheless, in the last 15 years, Colombia have emerged a new era of positive progress, improving the strengthening of the security, democracy, and development of the country. “In 2000, U.S. support for Plan Colombia; included was $1.3 billion in emergency supplemental appropriations in equipment, supplies, and other counter narcotics aid primarily for the Colombian military. The plan aimed to curb trafficking activity and reduce coca cultivation in Colombia by 50% over five years” (USAID). On the other hand, underneath the Colombia’s government during 2012 a peace agreement to end the civil war in Colombia was as been developing, but to avoid any corrupted actions the U.S objective of U.S policy should support and assist the peace agreement to the execution of the peace agreement. Moreover, besides the drug war and the armed conflict, the U.S interest to aid Colombia is also related to existing natural resources such as oil and water, Colombia is one of the world’s most biodiverse countries, as home to 6 percent of the world’s forests and as the world’s third water-richest country (Restrepo, 2016), also it is the 5th country that U.S import more oil (Santiago, 2015). Furthermore, U.S-Colombia relationship has a strategic target to ensure and strengthen a global security partnership “the strong operational relationship between the United States and Colombian militaries should allow Colombia to deploy its forces in some joint operations, not unlike other major U.S. global security partners” (Restrepo, 2016). In order to reinforce and improve the U.S national interest in Colombia, the civil war against the insurgent groups and the drug war in Colombia has to be controlled and end it with a potential U.S policy; since these two major conflicts are the ones that stop the progress of the country and the U.S-Colombia interests. Background The initial thoughts for the U.S relations with Colombia were the strengthening of the economic and a political alliance of these nations; however, this alliance was affected directly; as a consequence of the Colombia’s conflict. the major Colombia’s conflict in …show more content…
Regardless of, the United States government has already developed a cooperation strategy (2014-2018) to support Colombia.
U.S Policy Option 1
Suspend the U.S aid to Colombia; the idea of the U.S government to keep finance Colombia is questioned, now that the country has empower the economy, government and security is time to their own leaders to take the next decision on their own. Moreover, this U.S policy option will face a high risk that the Colombia lose the control over the drug traffic and civil war, increasing the drug traffic smuggled to the United States. In addition to the failure to reach the U.S national interest in Colombia.
U.S Policy Option
The United States primary policy issue with the Colombia is the worrying high percentages of the drug traffic and production smuggled to the U.S through the past years; as a consequence of, the Colombia status as the world’s principal cocaine-production nation. During 2000 and 2010, drug users in the United States spend on the order of $100 billion annually on cocaine, heroin, marijuana, and methamphetamine, but in 2000, much more money was spent on cocaine than marijuana; in 2010 the opposite was true (estimation). However, the drug traffic is not the only U.S policy issue with Colombia. The civil war against insurgent groups in Colombia had been a critical battle, that U.S has been supporting. The armed conflict in Colombia gave it an era of terrorism, deteriorating the socially, economically, and politically development. The FARC, which is the largest left-wing of Colombia and one of the world’s richest guerrilla armies, imposed a totalitarian regime and control over the country. Nevertheless, the U.S national interests are mostly affected when the insurgent groups in Colombia take over the dug traffic as their primary financial resource. Consequently, the U.S relation with Colombia turned toward a financial aid to combat the civil war in Colombia. The leading objective of United States policy issue is to the enforcement the reduction of drug addiction and the supply of narcotics smuggled to the United States. …show more content…
However, in order to accomplish and combat the drug traffic, the U.S efforts inquire to focus in wrestle the civil war in Colombia against the insurgent groups, mainly the FARC since Colombia is. Nevertheless, in the last 15 years, Colombia have emerged a new era of positive progress, improving the strengthening of the security, democracy, and development of the country. “In 2000, U.S. support for Plan Colombia; included was $1.3 billion in emergency supplemental appropriations in equipment, supplies, and other counter narcotics aid primarily for the Colombian military. The plan aimed to curb trafficking activity and reduce coca cultivation in Colombia by 50% over five years” (USAID). On the other hand, underneath the Colombia’s government during 2012 a peace agreement to end the civil war in Colombia was as been developing, but to avoid any corrupted actions the U.S objective of U.S policy should support and assist the peace agreement to the execution of the peace agreement. Moreover, besides the drug war and the armed conflict, the U.S interest to aid Colombia is also related to existing natural resources such as oil and water, Colombia is one of the world’s most biodiverse countries, as home to 6 percent of the world’s forests and as the world’s third water-richest country (Restrepo, 2016), also it is the 5th country that U.S import more oil (Santiago, 2015). Furthermore, U.S-Colombia relationship has a strategic target to ensure and strengthen a global security partnership “the strong operational relationship between the United States and Colombian militaries should allow Colombia to deploy its forces in some joint operations, not unlike other major U.S. global security partners” (Restrepo, 2016). In order to reinforce and improve the U.S national interest in Colombia, the civil war against the insurgent groups and the drug war in Colombia has to be controlled and end it with a potential U.S policy; since these two major conflicts are the ones that stop the progress of the country and the U.S-Colombia interests. Background The initial thoughts for the U.S relations with Colombia were the strengthening of the economic and a political alliance of these nations; however, this alliance was affected directly; as a consequence of the Colombia’s conflict. the major Colombia’s conflict in …show more content…
Regardless of, the United States government has already developed a cooperation strategy (2014-2018) to support Colombia.
U.S Policy Option 1
Suspend the U.S aid to Colombia; the idea of the U.S government to keep finance Colombia is questioned, now that the country has empower the economy, government and security is time to their own leaders to take the next decision on their own. Moreover, this U.S policy option will face a high risk that the Colombia lose the control over the drug traffic and civil war, increasing the drug traffic smuggled to the United States. In addition to the failure to reach the U.S national interest in Colombia.
U.S Policy Option