The first, and largest, problem is that of Politics. The Colombian government is wrought with corruption. "The endemic corruption that undermines the drug war is rooted in the high profits that make it a rational choice for government officials and police and military officers whose low salaries cannot compete with traffickers' bribes." (Bertram, Blachman, Sharpe, Andres p.170) These bribes are often used by drug dealers to buy legislators. In 1995 several congressmen, the attorney general, and the president's campaign advisor were indicted for accepting drug money for their cooperation. It is hard to truly speculate today how many government officials are actually on the payroll of the drug cartels. Officials can make anywhere from $5,000 to $70,000 and beyond to just turn their heads and look the other way.

The third problem Colombia faces is that of the economy. Farming is the job of an immense number of Colombians. The problem with this is that there is only one crop that can make them the kind of money they need to survive. This crop is coca, and it is used to make the drugs that so rampantly control the country. The farmers are very upset with this current state. They don't all wish to add to the problem. "In 1996, over 200,000 farmers and peasants from the coca-growing regions of the country marched on their capitals, protesting the fumigation and demanding viable economic alternatives to illicit crop cultivation." (NACLA report) This movement shows that the people want to help the drug problem, and that they do want a way out. Until there is some alternatives given they will continue protesting the spraying and the government attempts to kill their illegal crops. These farmers can't allow this, although the crops are illegal it is what the need to survive. The bottom line is that they need an economical option to coca production. Once this is done it should cut down on the coca production in Colombia. It will come into the country from other places, but this will make it somewhat more difficult for the cartels. Another side of this must be taken into consideration as well. If there is an alternative given will the cartels up the price that they give to the farmers now to keep them producing? Will they make it another offer the farmers can't refuse? Only time will tell.

The next area is a very bloody one, and drugs to some extent promote it. This is the violence that goes on daily. This violence can be carried out on government official who do not take bribes, and refuse to help the narcos. It may come in many different forms as well. It is not unheard of to pay some people on the street to go beat up someone's mother, brothers and sisters, and even their close friends. The scary part is that all this can be done very cheaply. There are many poor people in Colombia and to find one that will do this type of thing for a low price is not hard. They all need money and will do whatever it takes. In some more severe cases they may become sicarios, or hired killers. Sicarios are responsible for large numbers of dead. They will kill for as little as 3,000 pesos, or ten American dollars. This makes life extremely dangerous knowing that anybody you walk by on the street could have a ten dollar bullet with your name on it. To complicate this even more is that there

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1672
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)