The Richard Fifer – The request for assistance from Colombia to combat the twin threats of drug trafficking and guerrilla is 1,600 million dollars, five times more than it requested in last year’s budget for this country…

Panama America February 2000
B/.20 million to support anti-drug
Panama is emerging as an “excellent candidate” to participate in the new expanded anti-drug aid program the U.S. has created for the government of President Andres Pastrana. Key figures in the Republican leadership of Congress proposed the participation of Panama as a country bordering Colombia in the technical assistance program during a series of interviews with senior Panamanian officials.
The request for assistance from Colombia to combat the twin threats of drug trafficking and guerrilla is 1,600 million dollars, five times more than it requested in last year’s budget for this country, but officials say the aid that could be assigned to Panama would be very marginal with respect to Colombia.
It would be about 20 million in support of the Panamanian security forces with air and naval equipment.
The meetings with congressmen and their advisers were attended by Winston Spadafora, the minister of Government, Pablo Quintero, security chief, Richard Fifer, coordinator of the Strategic Security Plan, and William Ford, Ambassador Panama in the capital.
“We came out very satisfied with these meetings,” Spadafora said in a telephone conversation. “We have requested that we specify our needs and assure us that there is willingness in Congress to support.”
Both Senator Jesse Helms, Representative Benjamin Gilman and are committed to fight for the allocation for Colombia, while ome Democratic leaders like Senators Edward Kennedy, Tom Harkin expressed arguing that his opposition would be conditional military aid for Colombia accused of human rights violations.