The U.S. plan to cut Plan Colombia by 15% will hit military funding more than funding for the judicial system and socio-economic programs, El Espectador reported Wednesday.
The U.S. State Department asked Congress to approve a $400 million budget for Plan Colombia, which is a cut of $100 million from 2010 and $200 million from 2007.
Most of the cuts will hit Colombia’s security forces. The proposed military aid budget for Plan Colombia is $196 million, down from $285 million in 2009.
The areas least-affected by the cut are support for the judicial system, and the economic components such as promoting regional consolidation.
Plan Colombia began in 1999 as a joint effort between the U.S. and Colombia to fight drug trafficking and leftist guerrilla movements.
Colombian ambassador to the U.S. Gabriel Silva said Tuesday that Colombia’s work to fight drug trafficking will not be disrupted if the U.S. Congress approves the trimmed budget for Plan Colombia.
El Espectador reported that Colombia is not alone in the region when it comes to U.S. budget cuts. Latin America and the Caribbean as a whole are reported see an 18% drop in funding from the United States from 2009 to 2012.
