The Colombian Ambassador Carolina Barco held a reception in honor of my old boss, former House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert.  Barco was effusive in her praise of Denny, who in the mid-1990’s took a keen interest her country.

Back then, Colombia was teetering on the edge of complete chaos.  Drug cartels and then narco-terrorists, had the upper hand in their battle for control.  Brutal murders, kidnapping, and overall mayhem constantly terrorized Colombian citizens.  Because the drug merchants had so much money, they were well equipped and well armed, and they gave the Colombian military a run for its money.  Because the cartels had so much money, they were also able to buy off many in the justice system and in the police force.

Hastert initially started looking into Colombia from his perch as Chairman of a Government Oversight Committee that focused on the war on drugs.  He saw that what happened in Colombia had a direct impact on the national security of the American people.  He saw that drugs from Colombia were making their way to street corners in the big cities, the suburbs, and in rural America.  He saw that kids were being killed in drug conflicts because of drugs that were being produced in Colombia.  Read more...