The Pastrana government's response to Colombia's crisis is Plan Colombia, a broad menu of proposals to deal with the economic, social, political, and military aspects of the situation. (Plan Colombia: Plan for Peace, Prosperity, and the Strengthening of the State, 1999) Plan Colombia has ten elements:
• Economic recovery. The government sees free trade agreements and enhanced access to foreign markets to attract foreign and domestic investment as key to economic modernization and job creation.
• Fiscal and financial reform, including austerity and adjustment measures.
• A “peace strategy,” with a view to achieving a negotiated peace settlement with the guerrillas.
• Strengthening the armed forces and the police so that they can restore the rule of law and security throughout the country.
• Judicial reform to reestablish the rule of law and ensure equal and impartial justice.
• A counter-narcotics strategy, in partnership with other countries. The centerpiece of this effort is the organizing and training of new counter-narcotics battalions to be deployed to the coca growing department of Putumayo (the “Drive to the South”) (Plan Colombia: Plan for Peace, Prosperity, and the Strengthening of the State, 1999) ; the battalions' mission will be to secure the area while coca eradication takes place.
• Agricultural development and other economic activities to provide legal alternatives for coca farmers and coca plantation laborers.
• Popular mobilization to develop more accountability in local government, community involvement in anticorruption efforts, and pressure on the illegal armed groups to end kidnappings, violence, and the internal displacement of individuals and communities.
• Social programs, for health, education, and alleviation of poverty.
• Mobilization of the international community to participate in the Plan.
To underwrite the cost of Plan Colombia, the Pastrana government undertook to provide $4 billion in national funds, while seeking $3.5 billion in foreign assistance, largely from the United States, the European Union, Japan, Canada, and international financial institutions........
