The strength of Colombia's armed insurgent groups has limited the effectiveness of joint U.S.-Colombian counternarcotics efforts. In order for our counternarcotics programs ultimately to be successful, we cannot allow certain areas of the country, like the Putumayo region, to be off-limits for counternarcotics operations. There is also a need to re-establish government order in Colombia for human rights purposes. According to the Colombian NGO Pais Libre, guerrilla, paramilitary, and other criminal groups kidnapped 2,945 people last year, including 51 foreigners. This is a 33 percent increase from 1998, with the two busiest groups, the FARC and the ELN, combining for half of the abductions.
Kidnapping is neither an insurgent nor a political statement.
It is a crime. Colombia must disrupt the narco-financing of these groups, regardless of any political orientation they may claim, if any comprehensive solution to Colombia's problems is going to succeed. In doing this, we cannot ignore the rest of the region. For example, Bolivian and Peruvian successes against the trafficking trade are unprecedented. With U.S. assistance, both countries have been able to reduce coca production dramatically.