Ros-Lehtinen to Meet Thursday with Colombian President Uribe
Press Release
Ros-Lehtinen to Meet Thursday with Colombian President Uribe
In a meeting scheduled Thursday with Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) said today that she intends to focus attention on ways to ensure Congressional passage of the Free Trade Agreement between the two countries and on ways to combat narco-terrorism.
Ros-Lehtinen, who traveled to Colombia in May, said that Congressional critics of Colombia are attempting to reduce funding for counter-narcotics and counter-terrorism efforts in the South American nation, and scuttle the long-anticipated Free Trade Agreement.
The visit by President Uribe to Washington comes in the wake of an improving security situation in Colombia seven years into the U.S.-Colombia Andean initiative, known as Plan Colombia.
"Since 1999, Colombia has dramatically reduced the widespread, drug-fueled violence that brought the country close to anarchy. What has been achieved by Colombians with assistance from the U.S. is nothing short of remarkable," said Ros-Lehtinen, Ranking Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
Ros-Lehtinen also noted that Colombia is now providing counter-narcotics training to police in Afghanistan.
Thursday's meeting will also include Former Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-IL) and U.S. Rep. Roy Blunt (R-MO). Along with Ros-Lehtinen and others, the group is expected to lead GOP efforts to enact the Free Trade Agreement and protect adequate funding levels for Plan Colombia.
An estimated 90 percent of the cocaine and 50 percent of the heroin consumed here is produced in Colombia - a country now entering the fourth decade of a murderous conflict pitting the central government against drug traffickers and their allies.
"Allowing critics to hold hostage the pending Free Trade Agreement with Colombia will undermine Colombia's efforts to build a new economy and could trigger the downward spiral of America's closest ally in South America," said Ros-Lehtinen. "Without an effective counter-narcotics strategy, the number of U.S. deaths from overdose and drug-related killings will rise, and the floodgate of narcotics will open even wider with a deluge of heroin and cocaine aimed squarely at our kids."
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