DATE=8/5/1999
TYPE=EDITORIAL
TITLE=EDITORIAL: COLOMBIA'S FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM
NUMBER=0-08399
CONTENT=
EDITORIAL: THIS IS THE ONLY EDITORIAL BEING
RELEASED FOR BROADCAST 8/5/99.
(Resending to fix formatting)
Anncr:
The Voice of America presents differing points
of view on a wide variety of issues. Next, an
editorial expressing the policies of the
United States Government:
Voice:
U-N Secretary-General Kofi Annan [Koh-fee Ah -
nen] urged all parties to the violent conflict
in Colombia to negotiate this week.
Meanwhile, Barry McCaffrey, director of the
White House Office of National Drug Control
Policy, spoke in favor of more counter-
narcotics aid for the government of Andres
Pastrana [An-dres Pas-TRAH-nah].
President Pastrana, elected in 1997, took a
bold risk for peace earlier this year when he
offered to negotiate with the major guerrilla
group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of
Colombia, or F-A-R-C. In doing this, he was
acknowledging the reality of the insurgents'
power. But he was also insisting that
Colombians have had enough of violence and
that talking could not be worse than fighting.
The guerrillas' answer has been to intensify
their attacks, which kill civilians as well as
soldiers. These attacks have caused public
opinion to shift from support for negotiations
to a desire to defeat the F-A-R-C and the
other insurgent groups militarily.
Such sentiment underscores the loss of
credibility of the revolutionary left in Latin
America. For decades the left imposed its
agenda by evoking so-called "Yankee
imperialism" to explain the region's ills and
to justify its own anti-democratic political
style, which included terrorism and guerrilla
warfare. But the F-A-R-C, with its ill-gained
wealth acquired through protection rackets,
kidnappings, and drug trafficking, has
discredited the revolutionary left in the eyes
of Colombians.
The guerrillas want to hijack one of Latin
America's most dynamic countries. President
Pastrana, in resisting, is seeking to preserve
the integrity of his nation's institutions.
Anncr:
That was an editorial expressing the policies
of the United States Government. If you have
a comment, please write to Editorials, V-O-A,
Washington, D-C, 20547, U-S-A. You may also
comment at www-dot-voa-dot-gov-slash-
editorials, or fax us at (202) 619-1043.
04-Aug-1999 14:30 PM EDT (04-Aug-1999 1830 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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