CIAO DATE: 03/03

Colombia's Conflicts: The Spillover Effects of a Wider War

As this country's leadership focuses on homeland security, it would be well to look to our own Western Hemisphere, not just terrorism from the Middle East. The spillover effects of the conflicts in Colombia produce tangible threats to five bordering countries (Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, and Panama) and to U.S. security interests. If this trend is not reversed, the United States may find itself increasingly drawn into a spreading conflict without meaningful borders. Refugee flows could intensify, criminal organizations could thrive, and U.S. national security concerns and resources could turn increasingly southward. None of this is inevitable, but heading off these trends will require a more urgent recognition of their growing seriousness. This paper presents in detail the regional spillover effects of the Colombian crisis and argues that the United States and its regional neighbors must act in concert now to stem the spread of violence, crime, and insecurity in the hemisphere.

Full Text (PDF format, 22 pages, 248 KB)