Clinton schedules brief visit to Colombia

Clinton

EDGARTOWN, Massachusetts (AP) -- U.S. President Bill Clinton will make a brief trip to Colombia later this month to promote U.S.-backed drug-fighting efforts there, the White House said Friday.

Clinton's one-day trip on August 30 will underscore his signing last month of legislation providing $1.3 billion to help equip and train Colombian anti-drug forces. The forces are battling cocaine and heroin producers controlling southern sections of the country.

Colombia is the world's leading producer of cocaine and a growing supplier of heroin.

Rights groups have opposed the aid, fearing it will escalate the conflict between government and leftist forces and help paramilitaries tied to the Colombian army.

The paramilitaries are accused of being the worst violators of rights in Colombia's civil war, torturing and killing civilians they believe linked to guerrillas.

Clinton's visit marks the second short foreign trip scheduled for August. He is to visit Nigeria August 25-27.

Copyright 2000 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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