How do you respond to charges that you’ve conceded much and gained little from the peace process? I think they’re unfair. We’ve been negotiating for a little over a year and we already have a 12-point agenda. In Vietnam, [the Americans and their foes] spent a whole year just trying to decide if the negotiating table would be round or square. How long have the Irish been at it? The Jews and Palestinians? This is a new experience for us. But I don’t think there’s been any other peace process in the world that’s advanced so much in such a short time.
But aren’t the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia committing abuses in the “demilitarized zone” and taking advantage of your good will? There have been difficulties. We agreed to allow the civil authorities and police to continue operating in the zone, and any violation of the law must be reported to the authorities. Still, we’re trying to improve procedures so that such things don’t happen. You can’t just go to a bookstore and get a manual on how to conduct peace negotiations. Peace is something you build day by day. The Colombian model, with its separate zone for negotiations, is unique.
Still the fighting goes on. Yes. Outside the demilitarized zone combat has been very intense. The Army is fighting hard and with excellent results. But it’s sad that while we’re talking in one place we’re battling in another.
Is there a Plan B in case the peace process falls through? People don’t understand that we’ve already been in conflict for 40 years. If the peace process fails, we go back to the same old war. Still, I think there’s been progress. If we can agree on the first topic of discussion, which deals with the nation’s economic model, 60 percent to 70 percent of the peace agreement will have been accomplished. The other issues–mainly, the political reforms–are secondary.
Is Colombia a threat to regional stability? I don’t think so. We’ve reduced violence on the borders with Venezuela. We haven’t had frontier conflicts with Peru for seven years. And we’re in contact with Ecuador to… avoid the possibility that drug crops will cross the border. We are in constant contact with our neighbors to prevent [our] drug problem from becoming [theirs].
What do you expect to achieve with the $1.3 billion U.S. aid package? Drugs finance the paramilitaries and they finance the guerrillas. If it wasn’t for the drug trade, it’s unlikely that the guerrillas would have endured so long. For this reason, we say we have a common enemy in drugs. But I also think it’s crucial that for the first time ever, the United States is giving money not just for the military aspect of the drug fight, but also for the social and preventive ones. The package includes $300,000 for alternative [agricultural and small business] development and for strengthening judicial institutions.
What is your administration doing to address human-rights concerns? If you ask me if there are still links between the military and the paramilitaries, I’d have to say yes. But there is now a real consciousness within the armed forces about eliminating ties to these groups. Every battalion, for example, has a human-rights office and every officer from lieutenant on up has to study international humanitarian law. Have we completely resolved the problem? No. But there have been important advances.
