Pubdate: Wed, 25 Oct 2000 Source: New York Times (NY) Copyright: 2000 The New York Times Company Contact: 229 West 43rd Street, New York, NY 10036 Fax: (212) 556-3622 Website: http://www.nytimes.com/ Forum: http://forums.nytimes.com/comment/ Author: Juan Forero EUROPE'S AID PLAN FOR COLOMBIA FALLS SHORT OF DRUG WAR'S GOALS BOGOTA, Colombia, Oct. 24 -- Signaling reservations about Colombia's deep reliance on American military support, the European Union announced a package of nonmilitary aid today that fell short of expectations. The decision could undercut Colombia's $7.5 billion program to curtail coca production and curb the influence of leftist guerrillas. As envisioned by President Andres Pastrana, the program -- known as Plan Colombia -- would require $3.5 billion in international aid to go along with the $4 billion that Colombia had vowed to contribute. But European diplomats, meeting with officials here at the Foreign Ministry, said the European Community's contribution would now total about $321 million in nonmilitary aid. That appears to leave Colombia short of the total. The United States has earmarked $1.1 billion in mostly military aid. International lending institutions and Japan are providing $1.3 billion in loans, but the Colombians had hoped for much more in donations. "We don't know if they are disappointed," a European diplomat said of Colombian leaders. "But we can't be dreamers." Colombia tried to put a positive spin on the European commitment, with Colombian officials saying that, with the loans and donations, about $3 billion of the $3.5 billion expected from the international community would now be available. "This is a demonstration of the solidarity for Colombia," said Colombia's Foreign Minister Guillermo Fernandez de Soto. "We feel very positive that this plan has support." But in Washington, a senior congressional staff member said that more international money for social programs and development was needed to balance out what the United States was spending. "Everyone was looking for the rest of the world, particularly the Europeans, to do the soft side," said the official, referring to nonmilitary aid. "We have done the military side. You can't do one without the other." A high-ranking Colombian official, citing American reports that Europe is consuming 30 percent of the coca that Colombia produces, said Europe should do more. "If they don't do it, we'll never resolve this problem," the official said. Some people doubt that the Pastrana government can allocate as much as it has said it would contribute. Colombia, for decades a bastion of economic stability, is now in the midst of a debilitating recession. - --- MAP posted-by: Eric Ernst