U.S. Policy Toward Colombia's Drugs Since 1980s

With the end of the Cold War, the international situation has changed, and the United States adjusts its diplomatic strategy. "Anti-drug" has become the new theme of United States intervening Latin American instead of "anti-communist". As a typical case, the cooperation of Colombia and the United States reflects the important features of foreign policy on drugs of America.The United States is a country with the long history of drug-consuming, and Colombia is one of the largest drug production and transportation states, their cooperation originated in the late 1970s. From the harmonious relationship to the conflicts occurring repeatedly, until today, the Colombian government follows in the United States' footsteps; Anti-drug effectiveness is the "barometer" of the relationships between the United States and Colombia in more than three decades of drug war.President Nixon initiated drug war. For the severity of the drug problem, the United States adjusts to its anti-drug strategies toward Colombia constantly. Such practices of militarizing the drug war and strengthening nondrug assistant appears that the United States' drug policy becomes more and more sophisticated. However, anti-terrorism, peace process such factors increase the complexity of the problem.American hegemony has always run through the drug policy toward Colombia, which is the most obvious characteristic of it. The conflicts and cooperation during this period confirm the traditional diplomatic style for the United States to Latin America again: the United States still treats Latin America by "carrot and stick", while Latin America treats the United States by "resistance and perfunctoriness".This paper attempts to draw the inspiration through the analysis of US' Foreign Drug Policy toward Colombia: the U.S. policy has deficiencies in principle, which results in intervening domestic affairs of some drug source countries during implementing such a policy, it is the inherent contradiction in drug foreign policy of the United States, which put the United States in the dilemma. It is a blueprint for success to create a more harmonious cooperation environment for drug war.