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Colombia
>> Regional Overview >> Colombia Overview
Development Challenge Summary Tables
Program Summary
Previous Years' Activities
2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, 199759
Introduction
Colombia is the fourth largest economy in South America and the United States' fifth largest export market in Latin America, with over $9 billion annually of bilateral trade. Historically, Colombia has been one of the most prosperous countries in the region, with sound economic management and stable political institutions. Since 1993, Colombia has faced a deteriorating economy and has suffered the effects of an increasingly complex and violent civil conflict, exacerbated by the export of illicit drugs. The pivotal role that Colombia plays in the overall stability of the Andean region, coupled with the increased volatility of its neighbors, makes a peaceful and stable Colombia more important than ever to the United States and the Western Hemisphere as a whole.
In September 1999, President Pastrana launched Plan Colombia, a $7.5 billion, multi-year strategy designed to tackle some of Colombia's greatest challenges. The Plan's multiple aims include support for the country's anti-narcotics strategy, stronger justice and rule of law, greater democratization, humanitarian assistance and the ongoing peace process. The U.S. Government demonstrated its support of Plan Colombia with the approval of a $1.3 billion assistance package in June 2000.
The Development Challenge
More than mid-way through his four-year term, President Pastrana faces an unpredictable peace process, slowly recovering economic growth, lack of judicial efficacy and a growing drug trade. The challenge for the Colombian government is to gain greater legitimacy by performing the basic functions that all citizens deserve. This includes working to ensure peace and stability, providing greater justice through increased access to key government institutions, protecting human rights, reducing corruption, strengthening local governments, providing economic alternatives for illegal crop production and supporting the needs of Colombia's internally displaced population.
Peace talks begun by President Pastrana in 1998 have produced neither substantive agreements nor a decrease in the levels of violence. Illegal armed groups exert influence in 400 of the country's 1,079 municipalities, where there is little civil governance. Where the provincial government functions, municipal government capacity is often weak and citizen participation limited.
The economy has begun to recover from the 1999 recession, with a currency devaluation in mid-2000 contributing to annual economic growth of 3%. Yet unemployment exceeds 20% and foreign direct investment is stymied by political uncertainty. Colombia faces grave income disparities, growing poverty, and inadequate government social services - a challenge recently highlighted as one of the first priorities of Colombia's finance minister.
The Pastrana Administration has strengthened the judiciary. The government is promoting the transition to an accusatory justice system through the use of oral public trials in an effort to improve transparency, limit corruption and address the high degree of impunity in the country.
To improve human rights performance, the Colombian government adopted a new military penal code in mid-2000 that requires certain human rights abuses to be tried in civilian courts. Further, President Pastrana relieved several senior military officers accused of links to paramilitary groups, and a senior military officer was convicted and sentenced to prison for failing to act quickly to prevent a massacre. However, human rights workers continue to be at significant risk and unable to mount sustainable programs to monitor the human rights situation, report on violations and educate the population on basic rights. Prosecutors and Ombudsman staff lack basic equipment needed to investigate cases and crimes, and human rights violations most often go unprosecuted due to weaknesses in the of rule of law. Moreover, links between certain elements of the military and paramilitary forces in certain regions of the country have yet to be broken completely.
Finally, successful eradication of coca and heroin--key elements of U.S. policy in Colombia--continue to demand adequate funding for alternative development activities. As the government's eradication and interdiction efforts intensify, tensions will be aggravated in the short term, potentially increasing the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs), which are currently estimated to exceed 1.5 million.
Other Donors
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the World Bank, the Andean Development Corporation and the Latin American Reserve Fund combined have committed $4.2 billion over 2000-2002 to strengthen the Colombian social safety net. The World Bank also contributed $540 million and the IDB $371 million to a fast-dispersing loan to support Plan Colombia. Annually, United Nations agencies provide approximately $15 million, while combined bilateral donors, led by Spain and Japan, have pledged approximately $200 million. The European Union (EU) pledged $90 million.
FY 2002 Program
The United States Agency for International Development's (USAID) program addresses three areas of U.S. policy in Colombia: 1) more resilient democracy, including administration of justice, human rights protection, strengthened local governance, anticorruption, civil society strengthening and support for the peace process; 2) reduction of coca and opium poppy production through alternative development; and 3) assistance to internally displaced populations. As part of the U.S. contribution to Plan Colombia, USAID-managed assistance will focus on the expansion of its ongoing program. USAID's request for funding in FY 2002 will support democracy strengthening activities (including administration of justice, human rights, local governance, anticorruption, civil society strengthening and the peace process); alternative development; and assistance to internally displaced persons and other vulnerable groups.
USAID's alternative development program, begun in 1999, supports social and economic incentives to assist farmers and communities in eliminating coca and poppy production. This is done through community agreements for voluntary eradication of illicit crop production in exchange for improved agricultural and other income-producing opportunities, including product marketing, credit, and productive and social infrastructure. While focused on the southern department of Putumayo, USAID will work with Colombian government counterparts to expand the program throughout the country. USAID anticipates a reduction of 3,000 hectares in small-farmer poppy and 30,000 hectares in small-farmer coca through voluntary eradication agreements by 2005. After five years, USAID will also have provided support to 72,000 hectares of small-farmer licit, productive activities in poppy and coca areas, directly benefiting over 17,000 small farm families who have given up illicit crop production.
USAID strengthens the Colombian state and civil society by promoting a more inclusive and responsive democracy that is accountable to citizens. Programs will strengthen the ability of human rights institutions and organizations to combat abuses, justice system reform, anti-corruption activities, assistance to local governments, and support for the peace process. USAID's human rights program will improve the capacity of governmental and private human rights institutions to make citizens aware of their basic rights, document human rights violations, and monitor individual cases. USAID will also improve the prevention, protection and response capabilities of these groups, including implementation of an early warning system to prevent egregious human rights abuses and forced displacement. In deepening its justice programs, USAID will continue to support an open, accusatorial trial system and expects that 80% of all circuit courts will be implementing revised criminal procedures by 2002. In addressing greater access to justice for citizens through the Justice Ministry's justice houses (Casas de Justicia)" program, USAID will help to establish a total of 40 justice houses.
To assist the government's anti-corruption efforts, USAID will strengthen the Office of the Controller General and other oversight institutions and will conduct a nationwide anticorruption campaign in order to support increased financial and management audits and raise public awareness. Assistance to oversight organizations will further their ability to monitor Colombian Government activity. In local governance, USAID's program will strengthen 100 municipal governments to improve their planning and execution capacity, while fostering citizen participation in local decision-making. These programs have the common goal of increasing the presence and efficacy of the Colombian state and broadening the inclusion of marginalized groups. In an effort to support and further the peace process, USAID will support initiatives that educate and foster further commitment to the establishment of peace in Colombia. Grants will be provided to U.S. and Colombian universities, NGOs and other CSOs to undertake local research, workshops, conferences, training, operational projects and internships.
USAID will assist internally displaced persons (IDPs) with health services, education and shelter. Working through government entities, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and international public organizations (IPOs), USAID will assist IDPs to better reintegrate into the economic, social and political life of the country, particularly through improved access to employment. USAID will help an estimated 248,000 IDPs gain access to basic services after their access to emergency relief has expired, but prior to resettlement or return to their communities. Through the Office of Transition Initiatives (OTI), USAID supports productive activities, social infrastructure, and scholarships for children as well as the reintegration of former child soldiers into society.
Earthquake reconstruction assistance through CACEDRF (Central America Caribbean Emergency Disaster Relief) will be completed by December 2001. Assistance is constructing 2,600 homes for poor families affected by the January 25, 1999 earthquake, and has completed 24 social infrastructure projects, and stabilized a major landslide that threatened the city of Pereira's principal aqueduct, which supplies water to its 500,000 residents.
USAID continues stewardship over the $42 million Enterprise for the Americas (EAI) Fund, which makes grants to Colombian NGOs for mitigation of the effects of urbanization and the preservation of habitat in the mountains, the Amazon plain, and the Pacific coast.
Activity Data Sheets
- 514-001 Improve the Effectiveness of the Colombian Criminal Justice System
- 514-003 Illicit Crop Production Reduced in Target Areas
- 514-004 Provide Earthquake Reconstruction Assistance
- 514-007 Promote More Responsive, Participatory and Accountable Democracy
- 514-008 Provide Economic and Social Alternatives to Illicit Crop Production
- 514-009 Provide Economic and Social Opportunities for Vulnerable Groups, Particularly Internally Displaced Persons
Country Background Information Resources CIA Factbook
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State Dept. Country Information
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Last Updated on: February 12, 2003 |
