This study investigates the effect of the U.S. sponsored Counter-Drug effort of the 1980s and 1990s on the bilateral relationship between the neighboring South American Republics of Ecuador and Colombia. The historical U.S.-Ecuadorian-Colombian relationship is initially traced from the early 1800s to the late 1970s, in order to establish the historical band within which these countries' relations normally fluctuated. The study next discusses the arrival of the cocaine phenomenon, beginning in the early 1980s, and describes the various strategies adopted by these three states to confront the perceived threat posed to their national interests by the violence and drug abuse associated with this international problem. By analyzing the components of U.S. Counter-Drug initiatives over the last two decades and revealing their impact on the pre-existing levels of diplomatic, economic, and military relations between Ecuador and Colombia, the study demonstrates that U.S. Counter-Drug efforts have had a generally positive impact on the traditional Ecuadorian-Colombian bilateral relationship.

ADA 299632 Approved for public release; Distribution is unlimited. The opinions and conclusions expressed herein are those of the student-authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College or any other governmental agency. (References to these studies should include the foregoing statement.)