Colombia's main opposition party, the Polo Democratico, has issued a strong statement against Plan Colombia. The communique is also a grim assessment of Alvaro Uribe's Democratic Security policy, heavily influenced by Washington. The Polo cites the increase of human rights violations and forced displacement among communities targeted for crop eradication. Furthermore, the Polo asserts that under Plan Colombia, paramilitary groups have strengthened, achieving greater political, economic and social control throughout several regions.

The Polo also underscores the tight links between the military component of Plan Colombia and the economic strategy of pressing for a NAFTA-style Free Trade Agreement with Colombia: "The government's so-called war on terrorism incorporates the Doctrine of Integrated Action, based on the new (US) doctrine of the Southern Command Partnership for the Americas, and seeks the coordination of military, political, security and defense actions with state civil actions."

The statement concludes saying "Plan Colombia Phase II, instead of helping to solve the conflict and bring peace to the country, comes as a war plan that will strengthen the dynamics of the conflict, with ever more blatant intervention by the United States in the affairs of Colombia."

To see the original full text statement in Spanish click here.

From FOR Colombia Program, December 2007

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