Columbian Colonel at Fort Benning Describes Cocaine Landscape

In an extended interview with the Ledger-Enquirer, Colonel William Galindo (Columbian Army) tells how the cocaine trade has changed in the thirty years he has been involved in eradication. Col. Galindo is an instructor at the Fort Benning Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation, a school that is largely attended by foreign students learning US strategy and techniques.

Col. Galindo described a ballooning upward of cocaine production in his country that ran from the late 70s into the 80s with a decline during the 90s as cartel members were captured and prosecuted. While the drug trafficking was largely supported and run by guerilla groups in Columbia, these have also suffered in an environment that is aggressively anti-terrorist. Drug money is an attractive source of funding for anti-government groups.

The current picture, according to the Colonel, is one where Mexican drug cartels, particularly the Zetas, have become the driving force for cocaine production in his country. The economics are very strong, with a kilo of cocaine (at $50 to produce) generating a street price of nearly $20,000 once it reaches the US market. The picture is much better than it was a decade ago and the Army officer predicts it will remain at the current level as long as enforcement continues.

The Institute is hosted at Ft. Benning, but 60% of the students are Colombian nationals. Critics claim that the Colonel has an agenda – keeping US support and money flowing, and a positive outlook is part of that. They mention graduates of the program who were subsequently caught taking bribes from the very cocaine producers they had learned to defeat.

Despite controversy, it is worthwhile to listen to someone who has firsthand knowledge of the situation. Colonel Galindo describes cocaine as a “cancer” and that, at least, cannot be disputed.