    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1991, Book I)]
    [February 26, 1991]
    [Pages 177-178]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    [[Page 177]]

    Remarks Following Discussions With President Cesar Gaviria Trujillo of
    Colombia
    February 26, 1991

        President Bush. Mr. President, it has been a privilege to meet with
    you and to share our thoughts on critical challenges that our countries
    must face together. You're a man of courage, the worthy political heir
    of your nation's General Santander, who said, ``If the sword gave us
    independence, the law will give us liberty.'' You're a man devoted to
    law and to liberty, and for that, you have our admiration and respect.
        Today, we held a thorough and frank discussion on a range of issues
    of mutual concern, particularly the drug war and joint economic matters.
    I view this as a vital meeting. For although there is a crisis demanding
    our attention halfway around the world, we will not neglect the very
    pressing needs and opportunities in our own hemisphere.
        One of the most urgent of these is the fierce battle that we're
    waging against the scourge of drugs. President Gaviria talked to me in
    great detail of the efforts, the heroic efforts that Colombia is making
    in this fight. We honor him and his countrymen, knowing they've borne a
    very difficult burden in this war and knowing that it is their survival
    that's at stake every day.
        Our hearts are with the Colombian people who have suffered so much
    from drug-related outlaw violence. This has included the murder of
    President Gaviria's own cousin only days ago by these narco-terrorists.
    We want to tell Colombians that they inspire us by standing up--despite
    intimidation, despite the costs--for justice and for law.
        As we spoke today, I made it clear that Colombia is not alone in
    this fight. Both our countries recognize that drug production and drug
    use threaten our futures and our very lives. We are determined to defeat
    this enemy. Together, I am more and more convinced, especially after
    these talks, that we will win this war.
        At the Cartagena summit, we said that we accepted our responsibility
    to cut drug demand in the United States. I told the President today that
    our work is succeeding; drug use here in the United States is on the
    decline. And also at that summit, we pledged to help Colombia and her
    neighbors in their struggle to reduce production and interrupt the
    transportation of drugs.
        And we know that battling the drug war has indeed meant high costs
    to the Colombian people. And so, I'm glad to report that on February
    25th our countries signed an agreement providing the first $20 million
    of a total $41 million to help ease the financial damage that the drug
    war has meant to his government's programs. And second, we've signed an
    innovative agreement on mutual judicial cooperation to more effectively
    prosecute the drug traffickers. And I told the President that we will
    sign a multimillion-dollar, long-term agreement expanding our support
    for his bold initiative to strengthen the Colombian judicial system.
        In addition, we know we need to offer the people of the Andes viable
    economic alternatives to coca production. A team led by Ambassador Ed
    Corr has just completed a report on how we can strengthen our
    cooperation on agricultural issues and make our market more accessible
    to legal exports.
        Most importantly, we've proposed the Andean Trade Initiative
    providing special and vitally important benefits for the Colombian
    producers. And I hope Congress will pass this legislation speedily.
        As we look ahead to the coming century, President Gaviria and I
    agree that we must also make trade and economic development essential
    priorities. Our hemisphere must see that its future lies with free
    markets as well as free governments. And that's why we must forge a
    genuine economic partnership for the future. Last year, we proposed the
    Enterprise for the Americas Initiative, offering the hope of greater
    prosperity for all the Americas through greater international
    investment, freer trade, and greatly reduced debt burdens.
        Colombia was the first nation to take up our offer to negotiate
    bilateral trade and

    [[Page 178]]

    investment framework agreements. Well, I told the President today that
    we are sending to Congress legislation necessary to implement the
    investment, debt, and environmental aspects of the Enterprise for the
    Americas Initiative. And I assured him that I am absolutely committed to
    securing its passage.
        The people of our two nations are united as neighbors. And we are
    united as societies threatened by the human misery brought by drugs. But
    we're also united as people who believe in human rights and in the
    creative power of liberty. We're members of what is almost the world's
    first fully free hemisphere.
        We're battling some powerful enemies: drugs, poverty, forces opposed
    to democracy. But we have even more powerful resources. Simon Bolivar
    wrote in exile: ``The veil has been torn asunder. We've already seen the
    light and it is not our desire to be thrust back into darkness.''
        Well, our nations have seen the light. And our meeting today was
    just one more joint step in the direction of that light. I might add
    that we will always be grateful to Colombia for their role at the United
    Nations as we formulated common opposition to the forces of evil halfway
    around the world in the Gulf as we stood up to the aggressor, Iraq.
        But that proved to me that the goals are clear. Together we will
    succeed. And so, may God bless your wonderful people, and thank you for
    coming our way.
        President Gaviria. Thank you, Mr. President. I want first of all to
    express in the name of the Colombian people how glad we are all because
    of the new order we're building with the coalition, with the cooperation
    of the United Nations. We are very happy for the success you have had in
    the Persian Gulf and the way we have built in this new order that will
    help all the countries, all humanity to fight poverty, to fight narco-
    traffic, and to fight the new problems we really have in our agenda.
        You have really told the journalists how we have talked about our
    common problems. First of all, narco-traffic, and the way Colombia and
    the United States are committed against narco-trafficking in the world.
    We have been tracking the Cartagena meeting you had with President
    Barco, and we are really aware of how the United States have got results
    about reducing demand. That's good news for Colombian people.
        I have told you, and you have recognized how we have been fighting
    narco-trafficking, how we have improved this year the interdiction
    efforts Colombia is doing. We have told you about the Colombian policy,
    the new judicial Colombian policy. And we are very grateful for the
    cooperation you are giving us with this mutual judicial agreement we
    have got in the day, yesterday.
        With all of the efforts, I am sure we are going to dismantle the
    cartels. We are going to fight narco-traffic as ever. We are really
    committed to that, and you can be sure that this scourge of humanity
    will end someday with the kind of effort we have been doing. We thank
    you for your offer to have, through this Andean Initiative, and we hope,
    too, that someday very soon, Colombia can have a free trade agreement
    with the United States of America.

    Persian Gulf Conflict

        Q. Mr. President, can Saddam survive, Mr. President?
        Q. Is Kuwait City liberated?
        Q. Have we taken Kuwait City, sir?
        President Bush. It's going very well.

                        Note: President Bush spoke at 1:14 p.m. at the South
                            Portico of the White House. The following
                            persons were referred to: Fortunto Gaviria,
                            slain cousin of President Gaviria; Edwin G.
                            Corr, U.S. Ambassador to Colombia; Virgilio
                            Barco Vargas, former President of Colombia; and
                            President Saddam Hussein of Iraq. Prior to their
                            remarks, the two leaders met privately in the
                            Oval Office and with U.S. and Colombian
                            officials in the Cabinet Room, and then attended
                            a luncheon in the Old Family Dining Room.