Liberty and Order: Reintegration as Counter-Insurgency in Colombia

摘要

Colombia's national motto, 'Liberty and Order,' reflects an internal struggle. The story of Colombia is the search for a balance between the goals of liberty and order. Today's brutal struggle to define this balance costs some 3,000 lives each month1 At the same time, Colombia has the potential to assume regional leadership. It holds enormous natural wealth, especially in emeralds and oil. Colombians see themselves as part of the hemisphere's elite. The United States 'has been unable to avoid subordinating its policies toward Colombia to broader regional and global issues,' said Robert Drexler, who was Deputy Chief of Mission in Bogota in the 1970s. As military analyst John Cope asked, 'is the extent and scope of U.S. involvement in Colombia commensurate with its importance.' The answer depends on six considerations. First, what is the primary U.S. interest in Colombia. Second, what challenges those interests. Third, what is the 'center of gravity' of those who challenge U.S. interests. Fourth, what strategy should the United States pursue in Colombia.