Clinton Meets With Colombian
Presidential Candidates, Uribe
BOGOTA - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton on Wednesday expressed interest in
strategies for the fight against drug
trafficking, presidential candidate Antanas
Mockus said after a meeting with the top
U.S. envoy.
Clinton also met with former defense
minister Juan Manuel Santos, the apparent
front-runner in Colombia's June 20 runoff
vote, and outgoing President Alvaro Uribe.
Mockus told local media that Clinton was
receptive to his ideas, especially those
about the need to change tolerance for the
drug-trafficking culture in Colombia.
"There was a lot of empathy about changing
the culture, not only having more police and
more troops," Mockus said. "Just like the
people learned to reject with all their
souls FARC (the Revolutionary Armed Forces
of Colombia), we have to look for people to
learn to reject drug trafficking."
The former Bogota mayor and Green Party
presidential candidate added that Clinton
welcomed the approach of his party's
campaign and expressed belief that cultural
and social changes are the greatest
challenge, not only for Colombia, but also
for Latin America.
"That the lawlessness is the great obstacle
facing Colombia today for its development
and the social and cultural change is
indisputable," Clinton said.
The secretary of state promised that the
White House would continue to back Colombia
as the presidentail election nears amid
tensions with neighboring Venezuela.
Clinton also said President Barack Obama
will continue to back Colombia's anti-drug
and counterinsurgency programs no matter who
wins the upcoming vote.
"The United States has been proud to stand
with Colombia and we will continue to stand
with you in the future," Clinton told a
joint news conference with Uribe.
Colombia has received more than 6 billion
U.S. dollars in U.S. military and other aid
since 2000 under Plan Colombia. Santos has
expressed concern the program might be cut
but Clinton reassured him.
"The security threats have not completely
been eliminated and therefore the United
States will continue to support the
Colombian military, the Colombian people and
their government in their ongoing struggle,"
Clinton said. "There is no resting until the
job is done."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
