Media Center

Press Release

President of Colombia Spoke to the OAS Permanent Council about the Peace Process and the Fight Against Drugs

The Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS) today received in a protocolary session the President of the Republic of Colombia, Juan Manuel Santos, who spoke about the close relationship between his country and the OAS, the importance of continuing the debate on the alternatives to address the scourge of drug trafficking in the region and the progress, agreements and expectations of his government and the national and international community from the peace talks currently underway with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

In his introduction of President Santos, the Secretary General of the OAS, José Miguel Insulza, highlighted the valuable relationship between the hemispheric institution and Colombia and emphasized the work that the OAS Mission to Support the Peace Process (MAPP) has been doing for the past nine years, during which time it "has accompanied the enormous efforts the country has made to end the armed conflicts that have long affected its people." "In carrying out its work," Insulza said, "the MAPP has always had your government’s support, and we have been able to do important work, under your guidance, for the benefit of the Colombian people."

Secretary General Insulza recognized the leadership and work of the Colombian President on the peace talks taking place between the government and the FARC, and stressed that such process "is possible thanks to the efforts of an entire country to reject violence and build modern institutions for a better future.” ""We know the enthusiasm and energy you have devoted to this task," Insulza said to President Santos, "and we are confident that this process, supported by the vast majority of the Colombian people, will come to fruition," he said, while reiterating the willingness of the OAS to accompany the country to achieve a lasting peace.

The leader of the OAS also recalled the Sixth Summit of the Americas held in Cartagena in April of last year, and praised it as "a milestone in the recent history of the Inter-American system and of our Organization." In this regard, he expressed gratitude for the trust shown by the Summit, which was led by President Santos, in charging the OAS with the preparation of the Report on the Drug Problem in the Americas. "The analysis and the scenarios contained in this report have opened a debate postponed for several decades and have become, thanks to your support and of the other leaders of the Hemisphere, an undoubted contribution to public health and social peace in our Hemisphere," he concluded.

For his part, President Juan Manuel Santos opened his speech by recalling the relevance of the OAS for his country, considered as "a forum of great importance, which was created in our capital." Highlighting the work of the OAS, he mentioned the role that the institution plays in observing and verifying elections, and publicly extended an invitation to observe the general elections of 2014. "Since 2002, the OAS has played an important role in observing elections in Colombia and we hope to have this presence in next year’s elections, as this is one of the many important activities of the OAS, to ensure transparency in our democratic systems, a transparency that gives legitimacy, which is perhaps the most important asset that any democracy can have."

Referring to the Mission to Support the Peace Process (MAPP/OAS), the Colombian president recalled how for more than nine years the OAS "has accompanied and supported communities that have been victims of the conflict and initiated the process of healing the wounds and restoring land to farmers who have been displaced by the violence."

In agreement with the vision of the leader of the hemispheric Organization, President Santos highlighted the relevance of the Sixth Summit of the Americas and the report prepared by the OAS under the leadership of Secretary General Insulza. "This is a very important initiative, because virtually all the countries of the Organization have been victims of the scourge of drug trafficking, and if there is one country that has been hit by drug trafficking in all its forms it has been Colombia," he said. Although his country believes it has successfully fought against illicit drugs, he recalled that "sometimes it seems like we were on a stationary bicycle: pedaling and fighting, but when we look to either side we notice that the situation remains unchanged, the business continues and crime persists, hence, this initiative to make a collective effort on this issue that affects us all."

The Colombian leader said that the analysis of the drug problem should be viewed "with open eyes, without prejudice, with true objective information, since it is a topic that generates all kinds of sensitivities and prejudices," and reiterated his call to use the study conducted by the OAS "to advance in a productive, proactive and purposeful discussion that allows the world to decide if what we are doing after 40 years of having declared war on drugs, we are doing well or if we could adopt other roads or other positions that are more effective against this scourge." "This is one of the issues that the OAS should keep as a standard, and should move forward with the initiative and promoting suggestions for greater effectiveness," he insisted.

President Santos shared with the Permanent Council some of the economic and social progress that Colombia has achieved in recent years, but added that the development could have been higher if it were not for "a bottleneck that has prevented us from realizing our true potential, which is the armed conflict that Colombians have been living for half a century." This conflict, he continued, has torn the social fabric "opening scars by stimulating hatred and revenge and giving the Colombian society a kind of insensitivity to violence." He explains that this was the context in which the peace negotiations with the FARC began, which in his view "have given unprecedented results, achieving agreements on points such as rural development and possible channels for political participation of the different groups that have been marginalized in our democracy."

That process, said the Colombian leader, presents numerous challenges and barriers, so it is necessary to analyze and assess it in its entirety. "When negotiations have ended, we will present them to the national and international community so Colombians can say whether they accept it or not, and that's when you will really be able to appreciate the agreements," he said, and stressed the importance of continuing counting on the support and assistance of the international community.

"We have advanced towards an inclusive democracy and if we can remove the conflict that has weakened us, the effect not only for Colombia, but also for whole region will be very positive," he said and thanked the Secretary General and all member countries for the support that Colombia has received by the institution. "We have a long way to go, if we achieve peace, if we reconcile the Colombians in a complex process where there are too many wounds to heal, our country and the whole region will be benefited," he said. The end goal, he concluded, is "a Colombia and a region in peace with prosperity for all."

The Chair of the Permanent Council and Permanent Representative of Guyana, Ambassador Bayney Karran explained how Colombia and its leaders have made ​​significant contributions to the hemispheric Organization throughout its history, while highlighting the programs and support that it has given the country since its inception. "On many occasions your country has also been benefited from multiple OAS programs and specialized support and advice, among others in the fields of peace building, democratic processes, human rights, security, and human development, all of which play a significant role in Colombian efforts for maintaining its rule of law on its path to development." he said. "The relationship between Colombia and the OAS is a perfect example of Inter-American cooperation, a demonstrative case of what the OAS is all about and a testimony of what our member states want this institution to be and do in our region," added Ambassador Karran.

A gallery of photos of the event is available here.

The video of the event will be available here.

The B-Roll of the event is available here.

The audio of the event is available here.

For more information, please visit the OAS Website at www.oas.org.

Reference: E-467/13