DATE=4/11/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=U-S / COLOMBIA (L ONLY)
NUMBER=2-261186
BYLINE=KYLE KING
DATELINE=STATE DEPARTMENT
CONTENT=

VOICED AT: 

INTRO:  Colombian President Andres Pastrana is meeting 
with top U-S officials in Washington, in an effort to 
rescue a one-point-six billion dollar anti-narcotics 
aid package that is being held up in the U-S Senate.  
From the State Department, V-O-A's Kyle King reports.

TEXT:  President Pastrana emerged from talks with 
Secretary of State Madeleine Albright saying he hopes 
U-S aid for his country will be approved as soon as 
possible.

The aid package has already been passed by a wide 
margin in the House of Representatives.  But last week 
Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott delayed a vote on 
the measure, saying it could be passed later and does 
not need to be considered on an emergency basis.

Speaking to reporters after her talks with President 
Pastrana, Secretary of State Albright called the issue 
urgent, and said the aid package needed to be approved 
as soon as possible.

            /// ALBRIGHT ACT ///  

      We have put a great deal of effort into it, and 
      President Pastrana himself has spent a lot of 
      time on this, as has his ambassador here, and I 
      think we need to move this forward.  It is an 
      urgent issue; otherwise we would not have 
      presented it as an urgent issue.

            /// END ACT ///

Earlier in the day, President Pastrana met with White 
House drug control chief Barry McCaffrey, who said a 
long delay in the aid package would diminish its 
effectiveness and could have what he called a chilling 
effect on other potential donors.

President Pastrana also scheduled meetings with 
Senator Lott and other Senate leaders to discuss the 
aid, which would provide additional helicopters to 
fight drug traffickers, mostly in the south of 
Colombia.

Production of cocaine in Colombia has more than 
doubled over the past few years, and violence by 
leftist rebels and right wing paramilitaries has 
increased. 

            /// REST OPT ///

Asked about television news reports that Russian 
organized crime gangs are now importing weapons into 
Colombia, President Pastrana said his government is 
looking into the issue.

            /// PASTRANA ACT ///

      We are investigating but we do not have the 
      real, real evidence at this moment.  We are 
      controlling with the armed forces and police our 
      borders, to avoid any entrance of arms or 
      shipments to our country that are going to be 
      used by insurgent groups, but we do not have any 
      evidence of information that was brought (shown) 
      on television over the weekend.

            /// END ACT ///

Secretary of State Albright said the United States is 
very concerned about the acquisition of arms by the 
rebels in Colombia and the possibility of Russian 
organized crime becoming involved in the drug trade. 
(Signed)

NEB/KBK/ENE/gm




11-Apr-2000 16:31 PM EDT (11-Apr-2000 2031 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
.