Driven by Drugs: U.S. Policy Toward Colombia

In recent years, Colombia has become the recipient of the third largest amount of U.S. foreign aid - most of it slated for antidrug efforts. Russell Crandall offers a clear and concise analysis of the evolution and present dynamics of U.S. policy toward Colombia, a policy that since 1990 has been driven overwhelmingly by factors related to the "war on drugs" within the United States. Crandall shows how, in pursuing its war-on-drug - driven interventionist agenda, the United States succeeded primarily in weakening the Colombian state at the very time that guerrilla groups and paramilitary forces were gaining strength in rural areas. He also considers the roots of those groups and discusses efforts to bring peace to the country. He concludes by assessing current U.S. policy toward Colombia and suggesting directions for future policy. Driven by Drugs tells a story that is essential for understanding the complexity of the Colombia-U.S. relationship - and that is equally significant as a case study of U.S. foreign policy.