(27 Sep 1997) Spanish/Nat
Colombian President Ernesto Samper defended his government's war on drugs on Friday, saying the industrialised world was not doing its fair share.
His relationship with the U-S came under new strain this week after he vowed to push through Colombia's congress a controversial new bill to extradite drug kingpins to the U-S.
At a press conference in New York on Friday, Colombian President Ernesto Samper said his government was doing everything possible in the fight against drugs.
SOUNDBITE: (Spanish)
"In Colombia, we no longer have important drug cartels, we have small regional cartels, but we feel pleased to be able to announce the good news to the world that the Medellin Cartel and the Cali cartel which at a moment were trafficking with more than 80 per cent of the drugs, at this time they are completely dismantled."
SUPER CAPTION: Ernesto Samper, President of Colombia
He further detailed what his government has done to destroy the drug trafficking and cartels.
SOUNDBITE: (Spanish)
"We have destroyed over one thousand one hundred and thirty eight laboratories which represents 80 per cent of all laboratories destroyed during the current decade."
SUPER CAPTION: Ernesto Samper , President of Colombia
He explained how they were going to provide alternative cash crops for peasants disadvantaged by the loss of income from growing drugs.
SOUNDBITE: (Spanish)
"But it is not simply a matter of destroying the cultivated areas when what we really would like to accomplish is to protect the small peasant, we have developed a special program called "El Plante", it is a form of alternate crop for the small peasants for whom the coca and the opium represent between eight and ten times the return in comparison with traditional crops."
SUPER CAPTION: Ernesto Samper , President of Colombia
Samper - who travelled to New York on a special diplomatic visa
because the Clinton administration revoked his tourist visa - also vowed to push a bill through his country's congress making it possible to extradite drug kingpins to the U-S.
Last week the Colombian senate approved such a bill, but included a clause so that it would not be retroactive - meaning jailed cartel leaders such as brothers Gilberto and Miguel Rodriguez Orejuela would be immune.
U-S officials were angered by the move.
But Samper said he hopes to amend the legislation as it passes
through the legislature's lower house to eliminate the clause ruling out retroactivity.
SOUNDBITE: (Spanish)
"We are currently holding a very important debate to reinstitute, in our national constitution, the possibility of extraditing Colombian nationals - which was originally eliminated during the 1991 constitutional amendment."
SUPER CAPTION: Ernesto Samper , President of Colombia
He urged the international community to help in the crackdown on drugs.
SOUNDBITE: (Spanish)
"We are also requesting from the drug consuming and chemical exporting nations to establish new rules for the sale of these items without which the production of drugs would be impossible in our countries."
SUPER CAPTION: Ernesto Samper , President of Colombia
He said Colombia could not fight the drug wars on its own.
SOUNDBITE: (Spanish)
"As long as there are not important steps toward reducing the consumption of drugs, Colombia will not be able to resolve for the world, the problem of drugs."
SUPER CAPTION: Ernesto Samper , President of Colombia
Samper listed what he described as his government's success.
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