Serious human rights violations committed by the outlaws include torturing and executing prisoners, expropriating property and recruiting minors. Colombia's economy is shrinking for the first time in three decades. The gross national product decreased 5 percent in the first six months of 1999. Unemployment exceeds 20 percent. Displaced people, especially in rural areas, are seeking paid jobs with narcotraffickers and illegally armed groups.
Recruits reportedly earn twice as much as army conscripts.
Nearly a million citizens lost their homes, so Colombia has more displaced people than Kosovo. Without help from international partners, the Colombian government will be unable to reduce narcotrafficking or regain control of areas where illegal drugs are flourishing. The old drug dichotomy between source countries and consumer nations is misleading. Drugs are used wherever they are produced. Therefore, a global strategy is imperative against international trafficking.