[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.