For in-depth information, consult the Center for International Policy's U.S. Aid to Colombia web site.

65 Percent Goes to Colombia | Overview of Colombia's share | Conditions on the Aid | Reporting Requirements

In July 2000, President Clinton signed into law H.R. 4425, the 2001 Military Construction Appropriations Act (Public Law 106-246). Added onto this bill as "Division B, Title III" was a package of funding that will give over $1.3 billion in aid to Colombia, its neighbors, and U.S. anti-drug agencies during 2000 and 2001. 

I. Sixty-five Percent of the Package is Aid to Colombia

Though the aid package totals $1.319 billion, only 65 percent of that amount -- $860.3 million -- is assistance for Colombia. The other 35 percent is assistance for neighboring countries and increases for U.S. agencies' Andean region anti-drug operations.

II. An overview of Colombia's $860.3 million

The aid for Colombia in the package is almost exactly three-quarters military and police aid, with the rest going to alternative development, administration of justice, judicial reform, assistance for displaced persons, human rights and peace. To this new assistance must be added $330 million for ongoing, previously planned programs during 2000 and 2001, nearly all of it police and military aid.

II. A. Military Assistance

The aid package will provide Colombia's army, navy and air force with $519.2 million in new assistance. Of this total, $416.9 million will fund the "Push Into Southern Colombia," a Colombian Army operation in which three newly created battalions are to create secure conditions for police anti-drug activities in the guerrilla-dominated southern departments of Putumayo and Caquetá. The remaining $102.3 million will fund the armed forces' air, river, and ground interdiction operations, military human rights training, and military justice reforms.

The biggest single item in the military assistance category is $328 million for helicopters. The new counternarcotics battalions are to receive sixteen UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters at a cost of $208 million. (An additional two Blackhawks are to go to the Colombian National Police at a cost of $26 million.) The battalions will also receive thirty UH-1H Huey helicopters, upgraded to the "Super Huey" configuration; the Colombian National Police are to receive another twelve Hueys. The $120 million price tag for the Hueys includes maintenance and operation costs for these helicopters and for eighteen more that were provided to Colombia's Army in late 1999. This configuration of helicopters is a compromise between previous versions of the aid package, as the table indicates:

The helicopters, logistical support, intelligence, training and other aid for the "push into southern Colombia" will mainly benefit the three U.S.-created Colombian Army counternarcotics batallions to be headquartered at a base in Tres Esquinas, on the border between Putumayo and Caquetá. Guerrillas, particularly the Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC), have a heavy presence in this zone. The battalions will be charged with securing this zone so that police drug-eradication operations may occur without risk of guerrilla attack.

II. B. Police Assistance

The Colombian National Police (CNP), previously the largest recipients of U.S. assistance, are to receive $115.6 million through the aid package. The aid to the CNP is for a wide variety of items, ranging from helicopter upgrades and new spray aircraft to training and ammunition. The largest single police aid item is a grant of two new UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters, valued at $26 million. Other police forces, such as the Judicial Police and Customs Police, will receive an additional $7.5 million.

The CNP, particularly its counternarcotics unit (the DANTI), will continue to get at least $100 million each year in assistance through regular channels like the State Department's International Narcotics Control (INC) program or emergency counternarcotics drawdowns. This aid funds the police's normal anti-drug activities, among them illicit crop eradication, interdiction, and investigations.

II. C. Alternative Development

The aid package gives Colombia $68.5 million in new funding for alternative development and crop substitution programs. This figure includes $10 million to aid peasants who will be forcibly displaced by the "push into southern Colombia."

The $68.5 million in the House-Senate Conference Committee's final version of the package is significantly less than the amount requested by the Clinton Administration ($106.5 million), approved by the House ($108.0 million), and approved by the Senate ($95.0 million). In fact, the "Plan Colombia" aid package provides more alternative development funding to Bolivia ($85 million) than to Colombia (see "aid for Bolivia" in the first table on this page).

Alternative development programs in Colombia are to receive an additional $5 million per year in 2000 and 2001 through the regular budget of the State Department's International Narcotics Control (INC) program.

II. D. Assistance for Internally Displaced Persons

The aid package includes in its "alternative development" section $22.5 million in aid for the more than 1.5 million people who have been forcibly displaced by Colombia's conflict. (The House-Senate conference committee cut $2 million from aid to the displaced; the administration's aid proposal, the House version and the Senate version had all called for $24.5 million.) An additional $15 million will provide emergency assistance to the more than 30,000 people who will be forcibly displaced by the U.S.-funded "push into southern Colombia."

II. E. Human Rights

The aid package allocates $51 million for several initiatives to improve human rights protections in Colombia. Items include the establishment of joint human rights units made up of prosecutors and judicial police ($25 million), witness and judicial security for human rights cases ($10 million), support for state and non-governmental human rights institutions ($7 million), and support for the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights field office in Bogotá ($1 million). The human rights allocation triples the amount requested by the Clinton Administration ($15 million) and approved by the House ($17 million), more closely resembling the Senate's version ($53.5 million).

II. F. Judicial Reform, Administration of Justice, and Peace

The aid package includes $61 million for programs to streamline Colombia's judicial system, combat money laundering and corruption, and support ongoing peace talks. The "peace" funding is a $3 million grant to offer conflict-resolution training seminars to government negotiators.

III. Conditions on the aid

The aid package law sets several conditions and restrictions on how the aid may be given and used. Many are related to human rights or to congressional concerns about U.S. involvement in Colombia's conflict.

III. A. Certification (Section 3201 of H.R. 4425, Public Law 106-246)

Once the bill becomes law (July 13, 2000), and again at the beginning of Fiscal Year 2001 (October 1, 2000), the Secretary of State must certify to Congress that the following conditions have been met:

No aid may be provided until this certification is issued. This condition is essentially optional, however. It may be skipped entirely if the President determines that the "national security interest" demands it. This waiver was exercised for all but the first condition in an August 23, 2000 presidential determination (see also the White House's "memorandum of justification").

III. B. Limitation on U.S. Personnel in Colombia (the "Troop Cap") (Section 3204(b) of H.R. 4425, Public Law 106-246)

Funds in the aid package cannot be used to assign U.S. military personnel or civilian contractors in Colombia if their assignment would cause more than 500 troops or 300 contractors to be present in Colombia at one time. This limitation will not apply if (a) the President submits a report to Congress requesting that it be lifted or (b) the "troop cap" must be exceeded to carry out emergency evacuations or rescue missions. The "troop cap" may be exceeded for ninety days if U.S. military personnel are involved in hostilities, or if their imminent involvement in hostilities "is clearly indicated by the circumstances."

III. C. Declaration of Support (Section 3207 of H.R. 4425, Public Law 106-246)

Assistance may not be given to Colombia until the Secretary of State certifies to Congress that the U.S. government supports the Colombian government's political and military efforts, consistent with human rights conditions, to resolve its conflicts with guerrillas and paramilitary groups.

III. D. Other conditions

IV. Reporting Requirements

The law requires the administration to submit the following reports about how the aid is provided.

IV. A. Human Rights and Peace (Conference Committee Report H. Rpt. 106-710)

The Conference Committee's report directs the Secretary of State to submit a report within 60 days of the law's enactment (September 11), and every 180 days thereafter (March 11, 2001 and September 11, 2001) detailing the following:

IV. B. Regional Strategy (Section 3202 of H.R. 4425, Public Law 106-246)

Within 60 days of the law's enactment (September 11, 2000), the President must submit a report to Congress on the United States' current policy and strategy for its counternarcotics assistance for Colombia and its neighbors. This report must address:

IV. C. Overall Use of Funding (Conference Committee Report H. Rpt. 106-710)

The Secretary of State must report on the proposed uses of funding for each program, project or activity in the aid package. This report must be submitted to both houses' Appropriations Committees within 30 days of the bill's signing (by August 12, 2000). No funds may be spent until twenty days after the report is received. This report was submitted to Congress on July 27, which means that aid may go forward as early as August 16 (provided that the certification described in section IV.A. has been issued or waived by then).

IV. D. Report on support for Plan Colombia (Section 3204(e) of H.R. 4425, Public Law 106-246)

Every six months beginning on June 1, 2001, the President must submit a report to Congress detailing and itemizing the costs incurred by all government agencies for their support of Plan Colombia during the previous six months.

IV. E. Reports on U.S. Presence

(Section 3204(f) of H.R. 4425, Public Law 106-246) Every two months beginning within 90 days of the law's enactment (October 11, 2000), the President must submit a report to Congress detailing the number, locations, activities, and lengths of assignment for all temporary and permanent U.S. military personnel present in Colombia, and for all U.S. civilian contractors present in Colombia.

(Conference Committee Report H. Rpt. 106-710) The Conference Committee's report directs the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict to provide a monthly report the Congressional defense committees detailing, for the previous month: (a) the names of private-sector firms providing support to Plan Colombia; (b) the number of American citizens located overseas carrying out contracts to support Plan Colombia; and (c) the numer of military personnel and U.S. government employees operating in Colombia and the Andean region in support of Plan Colombia.

IV. F. Defense Department Funding and Rules of Engagement (Conference Committee Report H. Rpt. 106-710)

The Conference Committee's report requires the Defense Secretary to issue a report within 30 days of the law's enactment (August 12) on the proposed uses of all Defense Department funds to support Plan Colombia. This report must "describe steps taken to ensure the maximum force protection of U.S. personnel while deployed in Colombia, including their rules of engagement."

IV. G. Herbicides (Conference Committee Report H. Rpt. 106-710)

The Conference Committee's report directs the Secretary of State to submit a report to Congress within sixty days of the law's enactment (September 11) detailing the effects on human health and the safety of herbicides used on illegal crops with funds from the aid package.

IV. H. Extradition of Narcotics Traffickers (Section 3203 of H.R. 4425, Public Law 106-246)

Within six months of the law's enactment (by January 13, 2001), and every six months while Plan Colombia funds are available, the Secretary of State must submit a report to Congress (a) listing people whose extradition has been requested from countries that receive U.S. anti-drug assistance, (b) determining whether the countries are making good faith efforts to ensure that the extraditions proceed promptly, and (c) analyzing the legal obstacles to extradition and the steps being taken to overcome them.