Bogotá/Brussels, 8 April 2003: Colombia's conflict is producing significant
negative repercussions for its five neighbours – Ecuador, Panama, Brazil, Peru and Venezuela. But
Colombian proposals for greater regional cooperation against terrorism and drug trafficking have been
met with reluctance by bordering states. A new report from the International Crisis Group,
Colombia and its Neighbours: the Tentacles of Instability, urges much greater cooperation.
ICG Senior Vice President and Latin America Program Director, Mark Schneider, said:
"The spillover of the Colombian conflict will only worsen unless Colombia's neighbours recognise that
they have a fundamental stake in helping Colombia bring its conflict to an end. They should rethink
their reluctance to play a stronger role in border security and development".
The reasons for the lack of cooperation are complex. Relations between the
Colombian and Venezuelan governments have been strained for some time by Venezuela's tacit tolerance
of insurgents who move relatively freely on either side of the border, and the significant flow of
drugs through the country. Ecuador and Panama feel vulnerable, blaming Colombia for not doing enough
to contain the conflict. Brazil's government is confident it can deal with any spillover, largely due
to forbidding geography, but the serious drugs problem and violence in its big cities appear directly
linked to Colombia's conflict. Peru has seen a recent rise in coca cultivation and believes that this
is related directly to eradication and counterdrug pressure on Colombian coca farmers.
ICG argues that nothing has altered Colombia's basic responsibility to manage the
conflict. ICG Colombia Project Director Fernando Mora said: "Colombia needs to move to a negotiated
solution to the war. It must also recognize that improving regional cooperation requires more than
making its military presence more effective".
Colombia and its neighbours also should give priority to more effective
intelligence sharing and judicial cooperation, confidence building between the military and police
and more concerted action against drugs. Members of the Andean Community, Brazil and Panama should
agree to treat the FARC, ELN and AUC as terrorist organisations until such time as they enter into
humanitarian and ceasefire accords and halt their criminal actions.
International organisations such as the Organisation of American States, the
Inter-American Development Bank, the World Bank and bilateral donors should join the Andean Community,
Brazil and Panama in comprehensive planning for security, rural development, refugee programs, and
environmental protection.
MEDIA CONTACTS
Katy Cronin (London) +44-(0)20 7981 0330
email: [email protected]
Francesca Lawe-Davies (Brussels) +32-(0)2-536 00 65
Kathy Ward (Washington) +1-202-785 1601
Read the full ICG report on our website:
www.crisisweb.org
