on Facebook
on Twitter
on YouTube
Document Information
Colombian Labyrinth
The Synergy of Drugs and Insurgency and Its Implications for Regional Stability
U.S. policy toward Colombia has been driven to a large extent by counter-narcotics considerations, but the evolving situation in that South American country confronts the United States with as much of a national security as a drug policy problem. Colombia is a geostrategically important country, whose trajectory will influence broader trends in the Andean region and beyond. Colombian Labyrinth examines the sources of instability in the country; the objectives, strategy, strengths, and weaknesses of the government, guerrillas, and paramilitaries and the balances among them; and the effects of the current U.S. assistance program. Possible scenarios and futures for Colombia are laid out, with implications for both the United States and neighboring countries. The authors find that instability in Colombia stems from the interaction and synergies of the underground drug economy and armed challenges to the state’s authority. Solutions to the core problem — the weakness of the Colombian State — must focus on resolving the broader set of political-military challenges that result from the convergence of drug trafficking and insurgency. The authors recommend that Colombia’s military and institutional capabilities be improved to enable the Colombian government to regain control of the countryside and that, at the same time, the United States work with Colombia’s neighbors to contain the risk of spillover and regional destabilization.
See Also:
Support RAND Research — Buy This Product!
Paperback Cover Price: $20.00
Discounted Web Price: $18.00
Pages: 128
ISBN/EAN: 0-8330-2994-0
Contents
Preface PDF
Figures PDF
Tables PDF
Summary PDF
Acknowledgments PDF
Acronyms PDF
Map PDF
Chapter One:
Introduction PDF
Chapter Two:
The Illegal Drug Trade PDF
Chapter Three:
Origins and Development of the Guerrillas PDF
Chapter Four:
Guerrilla Strategy PDF
Chapter Five:
The Illegal Self-Defense Groups: Cause or Symptom of the Disorder? PDF
Chapter Six:
Colombian Government Strategy PDF
Chapter Seven:
The Peace Negotiations PDF
Chapter Eight:
Colombian Futures PDF
Chapter Nine:
A Wider Conflict? PDF
Chapter Ten:
Implications for U.S. Interests PDF
Appendix:
The Colombian Armed Forces PDF
Bibliography PDF
The research described in this report was performed under the auspices of RAND's Project AIR FORCE.
The monograph/report was a product of the RAND Corporation from 1993 to 2003. RAND monograph/reports presented major research findings that addressed the challenges facing the public and private sectors. They included executive summaries, technical documentation, and synthesis pieces.
Permission is given to duplicate this electronic document for personal use only, as long as it is unaltered and complete. Copies may not be duplicated for commercial purposes. Unauthorized posting of RAND PDFs to a non-RAND Web site is prohibited. RAND PDFs are protected under copyright law. For information on reprint and linking permissions, please visit the RAND Permissions page.
The RAND Corporation is a nonprofit research organization providing objective analysis and effective solutions that address the challenges facing the public and private sectors around the world. RAND's publications do not necessarily reflect the opinions of its research clients and sponsors.
* RAND research is conducted across divisions, centers, and projects; these organizational components are represented in the "Related RAND Divisions" section above.
Top
RAND® is a registered trademark. Copyright © 1994-2009 RAND Corporation. Last Modified: December 28, 2007 