ACCESSION NUMBER:217238
FILE ID:AR-419
DATE:02/27/92
TITLE:(English only) (02/27/92)
TEXT:*92022719.ARF
*ARF419 02/27/92*

(English only)
LEADERS AGREE ON NEED TO COOPERATE IN ATTACKING DRUGS
(Based on Gaviria, Fujimori news conf. 2/26)
(700)
By Norma Romano-Benner
USIA Staff Correspondent
SAN ANTONIO, Texas -- Colombian President Cesar Gaviria is predicting
smooth sailing for the Declaration of San Antonio, despite differences of
opinion between himself and Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori on antidrug
policies.

"The Declaration is almost ready," Gaviria told reporters the day before the
scheduled signing Feb. 27 of the document that sets out an antidrug
1trategy for the seven countries participating in the San Antonio Drug
Summit.

"I must recognize, however, that there are certain differences that need to
be ironed out...," Gaviria said on the first day of the Feb. 26-27 summit.

"This is a meeting of sovereign countries, which may have different
viewpoints on how to best attack the problem of narcotrafficking," he said.
 "But the objectives are the same.  We are all in agreement that the
problem of narcotraffic must be challenged by common politics -- and that
is basically what counts.

"Any kind of disagreement about the kinds of tools that are to be used in
(the fight against narcotrafficking) will be overcome.  I understand that
the only disagreement comes from Peru....  I understand the Peruvian
situation, and it is very different from the Colombian situation; indeed,
Peru needs a greater influx of money to fight its problem."

Gaviria was referring to a statement by Fujimori publicly rejecting
Colombia's proposal to set specific goals and timetables for the reduction
of cocaine production and consumption.

"We cannot have goals without the resources to meet them," Fujimori said.
The Colombian plan calls for the elimination of the drug problem by the
year 2010.


This would be preceded by the accomplishment of other goals; for example,
the Colombian plan calls for the adoption of a common criminal code that
would allow greater judicial cooperation and intelligence sharing by 1995.
By the year 2,000, Colombia proposes to eliminate the diversion of
chemicals into the illicit manufacture of cocaine and heroin.  By 2005,
there should be a 70 percent reduction of drug addiction among the summit
participating countries.

But management by objectives is not applicable to the Peruvian situation,
Fujimori retorted.

"Peru has 250,000 coca-farming families," he said.  "These people have a
special sensitivity to numbers that we probably would not be aware of
here."

Fujimori said his strategy calls for policies designed to "attract" this
segment of Peruvian society, "to bring them to our side."

"These are peasants, not delinquents criminals," he said.  "We are trying to
gain their trust and establish an alliance."

He added, "So far, the war on drugs has been a failure and we need to
rethink our strategy."

Asked about the Peruvian strategy, Fujimori emphasized "a comprehensive
plan" that allows coca-growers to switch from one economy to another.  "And
for this we need additional funds."

He noted that while Peru produces 60 percent of the world's coca, the raw
material from which cocaine is made, it receives "0.5 of one percent of the
 $12,700 million U.S. antidrug budget."

According to John Walters, deputy director for suppy reduction in the Office
of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), the United States has agreed to
provide Peru with $102.8 million in antinarcotics assistance for Fiscal
Year 1991 ($19 million for law enforcement, $60 million for economic
development,  and $23.8 million for military antinarcotics programs).

Despite their differences, Fujimori and Gaviria agreed on the need to
1nclude other countries in the war on drugs.  Colombia would like to see
the creation of a ministerial-type mission to visit the European Community,
Japan, and the rest of the Asia to "express our wish to expand multilateral
cooperation," Gaviria said.

He also announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding with Mexico
on eradication of opium poppy crops.  Colombia manually eradicated 1,500
hectares of poppies in 1991 and expects to use the herbicide glyphosate to
destroy another 1,500 hectares, Gaviria said.

NNNN

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