Pubdate: Wed, 02 May 2001 Source: New York Times (NY) Copyright: 2001 The New York Times Company Contact: http://www.nytimes.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/298 Author: Juan Forero IN TWIST, REBELS HELP DRUG EFFORT IN COLOMBIA GAITANIA, Colombia - The warnings were dire as President Andres Pastrana's government, flush with American money, began an ambitious plan late last year that called on farmers to eradicate fields of coca and heroin poppies in exchange for economic aid. Many officials in Bogota and Washington said the rebels of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia might resort to threats and even violence to stop farmers from cooperating. Rebel taxes on illegal crops are a major revenue source that helps finance rebel operations. But late in April, here in the cloud-shrouded mountains where the rebel force, known as FARC, was born in 1964, farmers agreed in principle to replace poppy fields with legal crops in exchange for subsidies and technical assistance. Rebel leaders from this region of southern Tolima Province watched closely as a letter of intent, the first step toward an agreement, was signed with officials. "They said we would not let the farmers cultivate their own crops," said a rebel leader who is in the political wing and was involved in discussions. "But we don't reject help just because it is from the state," said the leader, whose nom de guerre is Marta. "We just want to be able to see the state support the farmers." Although the revolutionary armed forces have not used violence to halt voluntary eradication, the rebels are apparently deeply involved in talks between the government and farmers, said local officials and farmers. "They seem to be getting more involved, to see if something works, if it does not," said Ruben Dario Gomez, who heads a farmers' cooperative. "They say that if something is happening in an area they control, they want to be involved. Everyone knows it." Local officials said that in meetings rebels give opinions, offer suggestions and, in some cases, shape programs. Agreements, including the one here, are forwarded to top rebel commanders for approval. "The FARC has its positions, its own criteria, in regard to discussions about these farmers' fields," said Gerardo Montoya, a provincial official involved in the negotiations. "In the points they made, they said that the people had been cheated before and that the state has never had a presence here." Much of the rebels' concern, said those who attended meetings, was directed at Plante, the agency that uses money from a $42 million American grant for what are called alternative development programs. The programs are intended to give farmers a year to stop their illicit crops in exchange for $900 in seeds, pesticides and technical aid to help switch crops. The government has also promised to market products and build public works. The rebels, however, see Plante as a tool of an American policy that counts on extensive fumigation to eradicate most of the illegal crops here. In interviews here and in the coca-growing heartland of Putumayo Province, farmers also said the agency had reneged on past agreements. The quality control coordinator for Plante, Joaquin Gomez, disagreed, saying the agency had forged bonds with farmers. He also said the rebel force had not been an impediment. "We've been able to come in," said Mr. Gomez, who was at the meetings here. "We have had access to all the zones." Still, among some negotiators here the sense remained that the rebels could have halted the letter of intent. That is worrisome to people like Hoover Mora, a town councilman who said the rebels' forceful comments left open the possibility that they would take punitive steps. "They say they will not stop the program," Mr. Mora said. "But they are getting involved in the oversight, and I think that is a big contradiction." Some experts on the rebels said they were in a difficult position because they had to choose between allowing eradication and losing financing or stopping eradication programs popular with farmers and risking alienating their base of support. - --- MAP posted-by: Josh Sutcliffe