Colombia, often criticized by rights groups for its tough policies, spelled out yesterday a strategy for beating rebels and drug lords that stressed public participation in "democratic security."
The 68-page document, the first detailed security plan published by the government of President Alvaro Uribe, calls for the strengthening of the armed forces and stresses the duty of citizens to aid the authorities.
Uribe took office last August after Colombians weary of almost four decades of war gave him a mandate to get tough on Marxist guerrillas, far-right paramilitaries and cocaine kings who have laid waste to much of the country.
But government officials complain that media and rights groups wrongly accuse them of being warmongers and fail to recognize Uribe's commitment to human rights and the rule of law.
The document released yesterday describes a "democratic security" strategy that has as a key objective the reestablishment of effective democratic institutions throughout the country.
It calls on citizens to support the armed forces by feeding tips to informer networks and by paying their taxes.
"Security is not principally law enforcement: it is the permanent and effective presence of democratic authority throughout the territory, the product of a collective effort by all members of society," said the document, which is packed with references to human rights.
"The key concept here is solidarity. Solidarity between citizens and with the security forces."
By urging citizens to pull their weight in the war, the strategy addresses critics who accuse the country's rich, urban elite of trying to simply ignore the violence around them.
The policy identifies the drug trade as a national security threat -- largely because it provides funds for guerrillas and far-right extremists -- and presses for greater international efforts against trafficking and money laundering.
But while the document stresses respect for the rule of law, it it glosses over some controversial aspects of Uribe's security policies.
Constitutional changes to fight "terrorism" are referred to, but not proposals causing concern among human rights groups that soldiers be allowed to hold suspects for 36 hours without a warrant.
"There continues to be a serious gap between what is said is going to be done and then what actually is done," said Robin Kirk of Human Rights Watch.
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