No. 2152 June 30, 2008 Terrorism, Insurgency, and Drugs Still Threaten America’s Southern Flank Ray Walser, Ph.D. On March 1, 2008, the Colombian military sanctions against individuals who are illegally sup- attacked a jungle encampment of the Revolution- porting the FARC. ary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), located less In addition, Chávez’s growing ties with Iran than two miles inside Ecuadorian territory. It was appear to open a door for Islamist terrorism and an important operating hub for the FARC, which raise the question of whether the U.S. has done the United States has designated as a foreign terror- enough since 9/11 to protect against backdoor terror- ist organization. Luis Edgar Devia (aka Raul Reyes), ist threats originating in the Western Hemisphere. the FARC’s second in command and top interna- The U.S. needs to explore ways to strengthen vigi- tional strategist, was killed in the raid along with 24 lance and to prevent Iran from exploiting this other guerrillas and supporters. Perhaps more potential conduit to the homeland. important, the Colombian military captured three laptop computers and additional memory devices FARC and drug-related terrorism still threatens belonging to Reyes. progress made in Colombia, the essential U.S. part- ner in the Andes. The U.S. should work to bolster The files on these computers and devices chron- Colombia’s capacity and will to defeat FARC terror- icle the thoughts and actions of the FARC and raise ism by continuing to fund Plan Colombia and by serious questions about the effectiveness of U.S. ratifying the Colombia Free Trade Agreement. regional policies against the interconnected chal- lenges of terrorism, insurgency, and drug violence in Exports of Colombian cocaine, long a staple of the Western Hemisphere. The FARC files are essen- FARC funding, are financing the mounting assault tially a smoking gun that proves that Venezuelan of Mexican drug cartels on Mexican law enforce- President Hugo Chávez is supporting the FARC. ment and the very fabric of democratic governance. The U.S. Congress should act promptly, without The revelations from the FARC files have prompted several Members of Congress to call for the U.S. to place Venezuela on its list of state spon- sors of terrorism. However, doing so could jeopar- This paper, in its entirety, can be found at: dize economic and commercial ties with the fifth- www.heritage.org/research/LatinAmerica/bg2152.cfm Produced by the Douglas and Sarah Allison largest supplier of crude oil to the U.S. and an Center for Foreign Policy Studies important U.S. trading partner. It would also likely of the Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis spark a nationalist backlash in Venezuela and more Institute for International Studies anti-Americanism throughout Latin America. A Published by The Heritage Foundation 214 Massachusetts Avenue, NE more prudent policy would be a course of targeted Washington, DC 20002–4999 (202) 546-4400 • heritage.org Nothing written here is to be construed as necessarily reflecting the views of The Heritage Foundation or as an attempt to aid or hinder the passage of any bill before Congress. No. 2152 June 30, 2008 imposing excessive conditions, to provide much- spawning the sorts of popular backlash that ended needed aid to the Mexican government to fight the previous efforts to construct populist paradises. drug trade and curb drug violence. For the U.S. success in Iraq and Afghanistan against Islamist moment, drugs, crime, terrorism, and Chávez have terrorism will curb or contain its expansionary heightened U.S. awareness of security threats along ways. Even in Iran, shifts in leadership among the America’s southern flank. mullahs could easily undo Iran’s inroads into the What the U.S. Should Do. While the Bush Western Hemisphere. Administration has a solid record of working to Ultimately, the U.S. and the strengthening secure the U.S. from a range of threats originating in democracies of the region can prevail. An era of Latin America and the Caribbean, more can and good feeling of the sort experienced in the 1990s should be done to protect the U.S. homeland from may be restored as nations turn to improving Latin foreign terrorist attack. Specifically, the U.S. should: America’s global competitiveness and develop- • Keep a spotlight on Hugo Chávez’s misdeeds. ment. In the near term, however, the U.S. faces real challenges in a polarized Western Hemisphere that • Apply targeted sanctions against individuals will require committing more resources and coor- who are identified and prosecuted by the Colom- dinating responses against the convergent and bian government for supporting FARC terrorism. often overlapping realities of drugs, criminality, • Use diplomacy to contain Chávez. and terrorism. • Cement the U.S. partnership with a demo- As the FARC files indicate, the enemies of cratic Colombia by continuing to support Plan democracy and freedom have deep and tenacious Colombia and the Democratic Security Program roots in the Western Hemisphere. In remote jungle and by swiftly ratifying the Colombian Free sanctuaries, FARC leaders are constructing grand Trade Agreement. strategies for sweeping revolutionary change and • Implement the Mérida Initiative to combat are courting friends and allies in the turbulent fer- Mexican drug cartels. ment of radical populism. Their leaders and allies dream grandly of humanity in the abstract but are • Press the OAS to fulfill its commitments on not afraid of resorting to violence, terrorism, hos- terrorism. tage taking, drug dealing, and forced recruitment of • Give priority to funding for Latin America child soldiers. They are ready to fight hard and dirty. security. They read the press, watch the media, and are quick • Guard the homeland with intelligence and to seize on signs of fatigue and flagging U.S. will naval assets. throughout the Americas. Conclusion. Latin America cannot afford to be —Ray Walser, Ph.D., is Senior Policy Analyst for seen as half terrorist-friendly and half terrorist-hos- Latin America in the Douglas and Sarah Allison Center tile. In the long run, radical populist regimes will for Foreign Policy Studies, a division of the Kathryn and likely run out of steam as they are consumed by Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for International Studies, non-competitiveness, corruption, and inefficiency, at The Heritage Foundation. No. 2152 June 30, 2008 Terrorism, Insurgency, and Drugs Still Threaten America’s Southern Flank Ray Walser, Ph.D. On March 1, 2008, the Colombian military attacked a jungle encampment of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), located less than Talking Points two miles inside Ecuadorian territory. It was an impor- • The United States faces a continued security tant operating hub for the FARC, which the U.S. has challenge in the Western Hemisphere from ter- designated as a foreign terrorist organization.1 Luis rorism, political violence, and organized crime. Edgar Devia (aka Raul Reyes), the FARC’s second in • A combination of radical populism, narcotics- command and top international strategist, was killed related violence, and armed insurgency in in the raid along with 24 other guerrillas and support- Latin America also presents opportunities that Islamist terrorists could exploit. ers. Perhaps more important, the Colombian military captured three laptop computers and additional mem- • The relationship between Venezuelan Presi- 2 dent Chávez and the Revolutionary Armed ory devices belonging to Reyes. Forces of Colombia, a narco-terrorist organi- The files on these computers and devices chronicle zation, poses a significant threat to Colombia, the thoughts and actions of the FARC and raise serious a critical U.S. partner in the Andean fight questions about the effectiveness of U.S. regional pol- against drug trafficking. icies against the interconnected challenges of terror- • Escalating violence in Mexico’s battle against ism, insurgency, and drug violence in the Western the drug cartels has led to a new initiative to Hemisphere. The FARC files are essentially a smoking help the Mexicans win the drug fight and develop a longer-term security partnership. gun that proves that Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez is supporting the FARC. • Establishing effective security in the Western Hemisphere and keeping allies committed to The revelations from the FARC files have prompted the fight against terrorism and crime will several Members of Congress to call for the U.S. to require the U.S. to exercise continued vigi- place Venezuela on its list of state sponsors of terror- lance, improve interagency cooperation, and ism. However, doing so could jeopardize economic commit a steady stream of resources. and commercial ties with the fifth-largest supplier of This paper, in its entirety, can be found at: crude oil to the U.S. and an important U.S. trading www.heritage.org/Research/LatinAmerica/bg2152.cfm partner. It would also likely spark a nationalist back- Produced by the Douglas and Sarah Allison Center for Foreign Policy Studies lash in Venezuela and more anti-Americanism of the throughout Latin America. A more prudent policy Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for International Studies would be a course of targeted sanctions against indi- Published by The Heritage Foundation viduals who are illegally supporting the FARC. 214 Massachusetts Avenue, NE Washington, DC 20002–4999 (202) 546-4400 • heritage.org Nothing written here is to be construed as necessarily reflect- ing the views of The Heritage Foundation or as an attempt to aid or hinder the passage of any bill before Congress. No. 2152 June 30, 2008 In addition, Chávez’s growing ties with Iran promised to end cross-border attacks, the reper- appear to open a door for Islamist terrorism and cussions of the raid still reverberate throughout raise the question of whether the U.S. has done the region. enough since 9/11 to protect against backdoor ter- The numerous letters, e-mails, and communi- rorist threats originating in the Western Hemi- qués in the recovered files are a windfall of evidence sphere.