Скачать или смотреть COLOMBIA: BOGOTA: RESULTS OF DECERTIFICATION BY US GOVERNMENT

(27 Feb 1997) Spanish/Nat

Colombian officials claim last year's decertification by the U-S government has hurt the country's anti-drug efforts.

President Clinton is to announce by Saturday whether Colombia will be decertified for a second straight year as an ally in the war against drugs.

Colombian Defence Minister Guillermo Gonzalez has said Colombia has proven its commitment to the fight against drugs and that it will continue the efforts with or without certification.

Last year Colombia had an unprecedented anti-narcotics effort including an increase in drug seizures and the enactment of stiffer prison terms for drug traffickers.

Still Colombians fear the U-S government will once again decertify Colombia as an ally in the war against drugs.

Colombian officials complain that the certification mechanism is unfair.

Defence Minister Guillermo Gonzalez is confident of the government's progress and says Colombia will continue its anti-drug efforts regardless of the U-S decision.

SOUNDBITE: (Spanish)
When I see the results of the effort of the police and the military in the fight against drugs, I think that the conscience of all Colombians must be in peace and not go into this hysteria about certification. As Defence Minister I have asked the armed forces not to go into that hysteria that we must continue working at the same pace with or without certification.
SUPER CAPTION: Guillermo Gonzalez, Colombian Defence Minister

Gonzalez talked about a new proposal to cancel elections in regions prone to guerrilla attacks.

The move would allow the current authorities to remain in power until the situation is under control.

The government says this will prevent fraud and more violence.

SOUNDBITE: (Spanish)
In many places the strategy of subversive groups is to kill mayors and create difficult public order situations in order that no elections will take place there and that we pull out the police and the democratic process doesn't take place. I have to evaluate this because we are not going to subject a population under conditions in which the free exercise of freedom does not exist to go through fraudulent elections simply because the territory was taken over by subversive groups. I don't agree in saying that there must be elections throughout the country come what may. Elections must take place in places where democratic conditions will allow people to express freely, but when there's coercion, and force the democratic process becomes affected.
SUPER CAPTION: Guillermo Gonzalez, Colombian Defence Minister

Most guerrillas battle with government troops and paramilitary groups in northern Colombia.

These are also the regions where coca is the main crop.

Colombia is the world's leading cocaine producer and superseded Bolivia in 1995 as the world's number 2 coca-grower behind Peru.

Many Colombians believe that if their country is again decertified it will be chiefly because President Ernesto Samper has refused to step down despite evidence that he was elected in 1994 with six (m) million dollars in contributions from the Cali drug cartel.

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