Colombia and the United States - The Partnership: But What Is the Endgame?

The American-Colombian strategic partnership has made significant progress since the inception of Plan Colombia. The United States has provided a considerable amount of economic, police, judicial, and military assistance. But much work looms ahead to eliminate the threats to state authority-the terrorism and the drug trafficking that nurture so much violence and corruption. Drug production and trafficking continue as the producers have learned how to outwit government counternarcotics efforts. In the past decade, the Strategic Studies Institute has published extensively on the Colombian conflict and American strategy. In this Letort Paper, Myles R. R. Frechette, American Ambassador to Colombia, 1994-97, provides authoritative, eloquent, and impassioned perspectives on both the achievements and failures of American and Colombian efforts.