Assistant Secretary Johnson’s Visit Reiterates Continuing U.S./Colombia Counternarcotics Partnership

Ambassador David T. Johnson, Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), completed a two-day visit to Colombia, in which he traveled to Bogotá and Tumaco. During his visit he observed first-hand U.S.-supported counternarcotics and rule of law programs that help increase the Government of Colombia’s capacity to protect its citizens and their rights.

On his visit, Assistant Secretary Johnson met with Minister of Defense Gabriel Silva, Acting Fiscal General Guillermo Mendoza, Military Forces Commander General Freddy Padilla, and Colombian National Police Director Major General Oscar Naranjo. During these meetings, Assistant Secretary Johnson thanked the Government of Colombia for its partnership in addressing the illegal drug trade and pledged continued support for the further development of Colombian institutions and capacity. Assistant Secretary Johnson and Defense Minister Silva also discussed the importance of assessing the conditions on the ground in Colombia and how the United States can support Colombia’s national consolidation plan. Assistant Secretary Johnson also met with U.S. Embassy officials and participated in a plaque dedication at the Embassy to commemorate the three American hostages rescued in Operation Jaque in 2008.

The following day, Assistant Secretary Johnson visited Tumaco to see how counternarcotics operations and U.S. supported social development programs are working together on the field. He visited a police station in Guayacana, and toured a Coast Guard facility that has coordinated interdiction operations of illegal semi-submersibles used for narcotics trafficking. He also visited a cacao nursery supported by the U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Alternative Development at the Municipal level (ADAM) program and the Colombian Agencia Presidencial para la Acción Social. This nursery benefits 1,070 families in 6 community councils. Assistant Secretary Johnson described his visit to Bogota and Tumaco as “a tremendous reaffirmation that our assistance and support has done a good deal to extend the reach of the Colombian Government and support the Colombian people in taking back their country.”

Throughout his visit, Assistant Secretary Johnson highlighted the findings of the 2010 International Narcotics Control Strategy report released last week. The findings of this report reflected overall the positive contribution Colombia is providing to counternarcotics efforts throughout the world and the valued partnership Colombia and the United States share. This report is prepared annually and delivered to the U.S. Congress. Its conclusions reflect the State Department’s analysis of the international drug control and money laundering environment during the last calendar year. The drugs and chemical controls section covers some 130 countries and jurisdictions and the money laundering and financial crimes section covers 60 countries. The report can be found at the State Department website http://www.state.gov/p/inl/rls/nrcrpt/2010/index.htm.