Colombia's problems are far from over. But the current signs of strength stand in sharp contrast with the gloomy and even fatalistic climate of opinion, predominant among Colombians just a couple of years ago, that was loudly echoed in international circles.

The worldview that has molded Washington's twin wars on drugs and terrorism constitutes an extremely narrow framework through which to address the complex problems Colombia faces. National security, defined exclusively in military terms, has taken precedence over equally significant political, economic, and social considerations.