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Concerns Accompany U.S. Support for Uribe
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Still, some U.S. legislators, even supporters of Uribe, are increasingly pushing for better results. After providing more than $4 billion in aid, most of it for military and anti-drug programs, U.S. policymakers are concerned that as much coca is being cultivated in Colombia now as when aerial spraying of the drug crop began six years ago.
The message was increasingly pressed upon Burns and other State Department officials before his visit, said human rights activists, congressional aides and others who met with him recently.
"We've given them $4 billion since 1999, and there were people from Congress who felt that it would lead to more dramatic results," said Myles Frechette, a former U.S. ambassador here who remains in close contact with American diplomats.
"Congress has given this money, and things are not working the way they're supposed to work," said Frechette, who despite the criticism counts himself as a backer of Uribe.
Burns stressed that in Washington he had met with Human Rights Watch and the International Crisis Group, both of which have been critical of Uribe's policies. He also said on Tuesday that he had meetings scheduled with Colombian human rights groups.
"He knows the situation is not what it should be, given the huge financial investment the U.S. has made," said Tim Rieser, foreign policy aide to Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.), ranking member of the Appropriations subcommittee on foreign operations. "There's been a lot of criticism, and they recognize there are problems that need to be dealt with."
The International Crisis Group, which issued a report last week on Colombia, says it is crucial for the country to focus more of its resources on creating a functioning state in rural areas where armed groups often hold sway. After providing billions in aid, Schneider said, many in the U.S. Congress would like to see the Uribe government generate more of its own resources toward the effort.
"There are a lot of lawmakers at the Capitol who are concerned that Colombian taxpayers are not making the same sacrifice that American taxpayers have made to provide foreign assistance to Colombia," he said.
