by Winifred Tate

About the author: Winifred Tate is senior fellow at the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), where she analyzes Colombian and U.S. counternarcotics policy.

The long-neglected conflict in Colombia is emerging as Latin America’s major crisis and pulling the United States ever more deeply into an unwinnable war. Escalating political violence, an entrenched insurgency, increasing illicit drug production and growing concern from Colombia’s neighbors about the conflict spilling over have policymakers in Washington searching for a solution to the problems besetting Colombia.

Many U.S. policymakers and military leaders are calling for increased U.S. aid for the Colombian military. But this will only serve to pull the United States closer to the most abusive military forces in the hemisphere without...