The most recent violence was in protest of President Bill Clinton's visit to Colombia. Ruled by guerillas Cartegena is some 400 miles north of Bogota, the capital, and farther still from southern Colombia which is ruled by Marxist guerillas and paramilitary groups, according to The Associated Press. Coca and poppy fields in the south produce some 90 percent of the world's heroin and cocaine, AP reports.
People living in the United States purchase an estimated two thirds of the drugs.
Although President Clinton denied that the U.S. has military objectives in Colombia, he said that the helicopters, weapons, U.S. advisors and U.S. training for Colombian troops will help secure the south for the fragile government of President Andres Pastrana, who is reportedly committed to destroying the source of the drugs. Only peaceful means can resolve conflicts. My recommendation is that a plebiscite that consults the people of Colombia will help the Colombian government develop a national strategy for resolving armed conflicts. The Methodist Church of Colombia comprises 12 congregations, primarily in Bogota and Cali. Seventeen pastors serve 1,300 members.