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Maintaining the Status Quo

Maintaining the Status Quo

Stories of soldiers murdering civilians, illegal wiretapping, targeted killings of indigenous people, assassinations of labor rights activists and other human rights abuses are troubling, but not troubling enough for the US State Department.  Last week the State Department certified Colombia as complying with basic human rights requirements, a necessary condition for releasing the remainder of American military aid set aside for the Colombian government in 2009.  Such aid is used in fighting the drug cartels and domestic guerilla groups that have defined the country’s politics since the 1960s.

Although the State Department noted that Colombia faces many “disquieting challenges,” the certification demonstrates once again the priorities of the US government.  This is no surprise, but will likely gain more attention this time around following the increased scrutiny that Mexico is receiving for its violent war against drug cartels there.  Numerous human rights groups have criticized the US support for President Felipe Calderon tactics, which have resulted in over 11,000 deaths in Mexico, but to no avail.  Now the certification of Colombia appears to be more of the same.

It’s important to note that any war against drugs – whether in Colombia, Mexico, Afghanistan, or Burma to name a few key locations – is difficult.  There are complicated economic, social, and political elements to the drug trade that do not lend themselves easily to a solution.  The drug cartels are only one part of the supply side – most farmers producing coca and opium poppy crops are peasants just trying to feed their families and unable to get by on normal agricultural yields.  Many government officials in these countries can also be bought with drug money to supplement their meager civil servant salaries.  And as everyone knows, supply is only one part of the equation; any real solution would have to tackle demand, mainly coming from Western countries, as well.  The problem with current US policies on the international war on drugs is that it fails to offer a systematic solution and instead focuses solely on the cartels, usually relying on government military or police action to stop the drug supply.

In Colombia, government action has never been all that responsible.  Because of the stakes and American support, military soldiers are often allowed to act with complete impunity.  As a result, Colombia’s human rights record has suffered.  But with certification the US has made clear that its interests in the country outmatch its interest in human rights.  Instead, the US is much more interested in maintaining the status quo rather than support real change in Colombia.

 

Author

Kimberly J. Curtis

Kimberly Curtis has a Master's degree in International Affairs and a Juris Doctor from American University in Washington, DC. She is a co-founder of The Women's Empowerment Institute of Cameroon and has worked for human rights organizations in Rwanda and the United States. You can follow her on Twitter at @curtiskj

Areas of Focus: Transitional justice; Women's rights; Africa