Fact Sheet, State Department Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, July 12, 2000

Fact Sheet, State Department Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, July 12, 2000
United States Support For Colombia
Fact Sheet released by the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs
July 10, 2000

The Social Side of U.S. Support of Plan Colombia

QUICK REFERENCE BREAKDOWN

COLOMBIA

I. Alternative Development and other social/economic programs (not including southern Colombia): $81.0M

II. Alternative Development and other social/economic programs (Southern Colombia only): $25.0M

III. Improve Governing Capacity: $119.0M
Human Rights: ($51M)
Administration of Justice: ($13M)
Law Enforcement: ($55M)

IV. Support for the Peace Process: $3.0M

COLOMBIA TOTAL: $228.0M

V. Regional Alternative Development Total: $93.0M

GRAND TOTAL U.S. SOCIAL SUPPORT: $321.0M

I. ALTERNATIVE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND RESETTLEMENT

Alternative Development (Voluntary Eradication): $30M

To assist small farmers who grow coca (three hectares or less) to obtain a licit income from agricultural, forestry, or livestock production and marketing. The activity concentrates in four areas: 1) applied research on crops with identified markets; 2) extension of an assistance package to farmer groups; 3) credit and land titling; and 4) productive infrastructure, such as packing sheds, storage and drainage systems, etc.

Environmental Programs: $2.5M

To protect Colombia's globally important biological diversity, with particular emphasis on offsetting ecological damage done by coca and poppy production in the Colombian Amazon, and to improve urban environments by protecting neighboring watersheds. Introduces economic alternatives to deforestation for communities living in buffer zones around protected areas.

Local Governance (Local Government Strengthening): $12M

In approximately 100 municipalities involved in the drug eradication effort or interested in addressing the problems of displaced persons, this program will encourage participatory practices in deciding on priority investments, reaching agreement on the use of social development funds, including establishing oversight and monitoring.

Assist Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) -- Small Infrastructure Projects: $22.5M

Up to 50 municipalities will be identified in northern Colombia for establishment of co-located services for IDPs. Medium term support for displaced persons will be implemented in cooperation with international organizations through grants for public infrastructure projects such as schoolrooms, water systems, road or bridge construction or repair, or market shelters. The communities themselves will select the projects, provided that they meet criteria for participation in the development of municipal decisions, transparency in financial management, and active participation in alternative development or other governance activities. Approximately 100,000 displaced persons will benefit from some or all of the program elements.

Alternative Development (Small Infrastructure Projects for existing Communities): $10M

Improving the socio-economic situation of a community also helps strengthen resolve to resist additional drug cultivation once eradicated. The socio-economic element will be accomplished through management of grants for public infrastructure projects such as schoolrooms, water systems, road or bridge construction or repair, and market shelters.

USAID Operating Expenses: $4.0M

Total: $81M

II. SOUTHERN COLOMBIA

Alternative Development: $10M

Provides package of technical assistance and material support for municipal government and local NGO strengthening, local social services such as education, health and water, and technology, extension, agricultural inputs and marketing support. In exchange, some 2,000 farmers, through farmer associations, sign agreements to voluntarily abandon coca production (4,600ha). The entire Alternative Development zone, comprising 8 municipalities and 20,000 families, will benefit from a supplemental program of municipal strengthening and a social investment program.

Emergency Assistance: $15M

Assistance for up to six months (temporary food and shelter) for families displaced by conflict and coca eradication.

Total: $25M

III. IMPROVING GOVERNING CAPACITY

III-A. HUMAN RIGHTS

Protection (Enhance Protection of HR Workers): $4M

Support of the GOC protection program for up to 86 NGOs though the provision of armored vehicles, reinforced doors, bulletproof glass, metal detectors, and radios.

Strengthen Human Rights Institutions: $7M

Support domestic and international NGOs to document incidents and patterns of alleged state-paramilitary collusion and cooperation. It will help strengthen the GOC to publicly condemn attacks and violations, institute investigations of human rights threats, and build cases for the prosecution of government officials who violate human rights. Support Colombian human rights NGOs to develop an umbrella network to share information with each other and with international NGOs, coordinate education and outreach efforts, and collaborate more effectively with the GOC to develop a national human rights strategy.

Establish Human Rights Task Forces: $25M

These units, modeled after successful U.S. organized crime task forces, will consist of specially trained prosecutors and investigators who work in a task force to investigate and prosecute those alleged to have committed or directed serious human rights abuses. The first such task force has recently begun operating from Bogota and is made up of approximately 26 prosecutors and approximately 45 investigators. Additional units will be established around the country.

Child Soldier Rehabilitation: $2.5M

Witness/Judicial Security in Human Rights Cases: $10M

Support for U.N. Human Rights Office: $1.0M

USG Monitoring: $1.5M

III-B. ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE

Policy Reform-Enabling Environment: $1.0M

Encourage reforms in the judicial system to substantially increase public trust. Assist the courts to recognize the results of technical investigations as valid evidence. Also, as a step towards improved case management, the Ministry of Justice will commission an annual evaluation of the status and disposition of cases brought before the judicial system.

Policy Reform-Criminal Code: $1.5M

Assist executive and judicial branch representatives together with academics and other civil society groups to reform Colombia's criminal code. This will include definition of the elements of guilt, standards of proof, and procedures for presenting different types of evidence in criminal cases. Assist Colombian NGOs and the Executive Branch to ensure that the public becomes aware of the guidelines used by judicial sector actors. This public campaign is particularly important in alternative development areas and among the internally displaced, where the rules of the legal process are not well understood and the process itself is being established.

Prosecutor Training: $4M

The Colombian Prosecutor's Office has agreed to across-the-board retraining of its prosecutors and police investigators in a team approach to case work. The Colombian prosecutor's office will train all prosecutors in 1) effective interview techniques, 2) team work with investigators, 3) effective investigative planning so that indictments will be brought on a timely basis based on probable cause, and 4) oral advocacy skills and training in the rules of evidence to conduct oral trial as mandated by the regulations of the Superior Judicial Council.

Oral Accusatory Public Trials (Judge Training): $3.5M

Assist the GOC to make the judicial system more transparent, accountable and compliant with Colombian regulation and law through use of oral, accusatory public trials. The Superior Judiciary Council is preparing procedural regulations for the conduct of these courts. Prosecutorial aspects of the implementation of oral accusatory public trials will be coordinated with the office of the Prosecutor General, with technical assistance from the U.S. Department of Justice. As the procedural development takes place, assist the Superior Judiciary Council in selecting and refurbishing courtrooms so that oral accusatory trials can begin.

Casas de Justicia: $1M

To make judicial services broadly available to all Colombians, USAID began in 1995 to assist the Ministry of Justice to install multi-agency judicial centers called Casas de Justicia in nine marginal municipalities. These centers include a public defender, an ombudsman, a public mediator, a prosecutor, and in some cases, social service officers. The intent is to bring formal, court-annexed adjudication of minor civil and criminal cases into the reach of persons who would otherwise be unable or unwilling to take advantage of the courts. The Ministry of Justice intends to install fifteen Casas in both 2000 and 2001.

Public Defenders: $2M

To improve the fairness of the judicial system, assist the GOC to assure due process of law and adequate representation of poor defendants by public defenders. Assist in training these persons in both legal representation and in their human rights duties. To retain the trained cadre of public defenders and to place them within a framework that ensures quality performance, also assist the GOC to formally employ public defenders as civil employees instead of using part-time contract lawyers, which is now the case.

III-C. LAW ENFORCEMENT

Asset Forfeiture/Money-Laundering Task Force/Anti-corruption program/Asset Management Program/Financial Crime Program Counternarcotics Investigative Units: $15.0M

Combines previous separate line items into one. Assist in formation of specially trained task forces, development of effective systems for managing and disposing of seized assets, strengthen efforts to support accountable and transparent government.

Anti-Kidnapping Strategy: $1M

A program to investigate and prosecute kidnapping and extortion. The program would be multi-faceted, including the development of an operations center to coordinate intelligence and information sharing and the development of a task force to investigate and prosecute these types of crimes, financial intelligence and information, and support for information exchange between Colombia and counterparts.

Judicial Police Training Academy: $3M

Support for the development of a unified law enforcement training academy for all Colombian police investigators in order to implement a standard curriculum. Initial steps would require appropriate site selection and design for a training facility. The next step would be to implement a curriculum with appropriate instructors and resources.

Witness and Judicial Security: $5M

Provides support both for witnesses and judicial officials now in danger and support for the development of an ongoing witness and judicial security program. Evaluation of witness and judicial security programs and assistance in developing appropriate policies and procedures.

Train Customs Police: $2M

The U.S. will support curriculum development and needs assessment for training of Customs Police affiliated with Colombian Customs Service (DIAN), including development of training programs and evaluation of resource needs to develop investigative capacities as well as border inspections and controls.

Maritime Enforcement and Port Security: $2.5M

Supports and provides training assistance for a comprehensive maritime and port security program, including coordination with the Counter-narcotics Task Force, the Customs Police and the Financial Intelligence Unit. This program also will monitor and revise the relationship between the Colombian prosecutor's office and the Colombian Navy with respect to the collection, transfer and preservation of evidence.

Multilateral Case Initiative: $3.0M

Supports and expands U.S./Colombian initiative to investigate, prosecute, and arrest transnational narcotics traffickers and money launders, coordinating activities with other Latin American and Caribbean nations. Initial meetings have already taken place between U.S., Colombian and Dominican law enforcement officials.

Prison Security: $4.5M

Enhances training of correction staff, beginning by implementing procedures and policies at a new prison located at Valledupar near Barranquilla. The program would then expand successful models to the system as a whole.

Banking Supervision Assistance, Revenue Enhancement Assistance, and Customs Training Assistance: $2.5M

Provides technical assistance and training to the GOC for improved supervision of the financial sector. Also funds training and support for Colombian Customs police affiliated with the Colombian Customs Service as well as support for revenue collection.

Organized Financial Crime: $14.0M

A comprehensive program to investigate and prosecute narcotics-related financial crimes, including the so-called Black Market Peso Exchange.

Military HR & Legal Reform: $1.5M

Army JAG School: $1.0M

Total: $119M

IV. SUPPORT FOR THE PEACE PROCESS

Seminars and Analysis (Conflict Management and Comparative Peace Process): $3M

While the United States has no direct role in the peace process, this program will assist the Government of Colombia to evaluate its negotiation strategies and refine approaches to the numerous social and economic issues that surround the negotiations with the FARC, the ELN, and the various Colombian economic and social constituency groups. Assistance will be provided to universities and other civil society groups to gather data to inform the discussion of issues and to make informal assessment of how a peace might be implemented after the negotiated settlement.

V. REGIONAL ALTERNATIVE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Bolivia -- Alternative Development: $85M

Ecuador -- Alternative Development/Northern Border: $8M

GRAND TOTAL, SOCIAL SIDE OF U.S. SUPPORT FOR PLAN COLOMBIA: $321 Million

As of July 14, 2000, this document was also available online at http://usinfo.state.gov/admin/011/lef302.htm