Statement of Ranking Democrat Tom Lantos (D-California), Hearing of the House International Relations Committee: "Plan Colombia: Major Successes and New Challenges," May 11, 2005

STATEMENT OF HON. TOM LANTOS
Ranking Democratic Member
House International Relations Committee
"Plan Colombia: Major Successes and New Challenges"
Hearing - May 11, 2005

Mr. Chairman, nearly five years ago under the Clinton Administration, Congress approved Plan Colombia to fight the scourge of illegal narcotics flowing from Colombia and to help the Colombian people establish a stable and prosperous nation. The Bush Administration has continued that plan, and the United States has invested considerable resources in the effort to make it a success. I commend you, Mr. Chairman, for calling today's hearing to take stock of Plan Colombia five years after its enactment.

Mr. Chairman, Plan Colombia is not only designed to get drugs off of America's streets, it was also designed to ensure the security and stability of an important South American nation. Colombia is now engaged in fierce combat with three foreign terrorist organizations which have formed an unholy alliance with drug dealers, arms smugglers, and others who seek to undermine democracy and the rule of law.

Colombia must confront these challenges to its security in a neighborhood that has become less stable and more prone to episodes of mob rule and demagogic populism, as recent events in Ecuador, Venezuela, and other surrounding countries demonstrate.

Mr. Chairman, Venezuela, in particular, deserves this Committee's full attention. In the last several years, the Chavez Administration has done much not only to undermine democracy and the rule of law in that country but also de-stabilize its neighbors.

In Venezuela, the Chavez government has packed the Supreme Court with ardent Chavez supporters, has jailed or prosecuted political opponents and others who dare to stand up for political and civil liberties, has begun Stalin-like confiscations of property, and has imposed draconian censorship laws on the independent media.

Beyond Venezuela's borders, Chavez acts like his mentor, Fidel Castro, but where Castro offered only empty rhetoric, Chavez extends a check, starting with the brutal dictator himself. Cuba's totalitarian regime has been propped up by the oil revenues of Venezuelan petroleum fields for many years. There are also credible reports that Chavez has bankrolled the coca growers in Bolivia who helped topple the presidency of Sanchez de Lozada and who today pose a threat to the Carlos Mesa Administration. In addition, Chavez appears to be providing financial and organizational support to undemocratic forces and common criminals in the Southern Cone and Central America.

Mr. Chairman, some will argue that President Chavez is the duly elected head of state of Venezuela, who last year had his mandate reaffirmed in a presidential recall referendum. But when we speak about promoting democracy and the rule of law, we are not only talking about relatively easy-to-accomplish events like elections, but also much-harder-to-establish democratic principles, like balance of powers, respect for human rights, and transparent and accountable government.

The presence of unrepentant, revolutionary want-to-bees in the Andean region is one of the chief reasons that our strategic interests lie with Colombia and the success of Plan Colombia. We need a strong partner in the Andean region that can be a counter-weight to undemocratic forces like Venezuela. We need Colombia to be our anchor of stability, prosperity, and democracy in a region that sees very little of these attributes.

But Colombia cannot do this alone. We must continue to aid in the joint battle against drug kingpins and terrorist groups.

Mr. Chairman, we have made great progress in the past five years under Plan Colombia. Although the Plan, like any grand strategy, has elements that could be improved upon, our long-term interests in the Andean region demand that we re-commit ourselves to ensuring that the enterprise succeeds and that the forces of stability and democracy prevail in Colombia.

Mr. Chairman, Plan Colombia remains our best hope to save the next generation of American youth from the ravages of illicit narcotics by reducing the supply of drugs on the streets of our cities. Working with President Uribe and his Administration, Plan Colombia is also our best chance to bring stability, prosperity, and the rule of law to an important ally and to the rest of the Andean region.

If we can achieve these important objectives, Plan Colombia will be viewed as a critical turning point in the history of Colombia and another cornerstone in U.S.-Colombia relations.

Thank you for calling this important hearing, and I look forward to an engaging discussion with our distinguished panelists.