Plata o Plomo

MARIE JAVDANI
MARIE JAVDANI was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and attended the
University of Oregon, where she earned a BA in geography and was pub-
lished in Harvest, the university’s annual writing publication. In school she
became interested in international development, and afterward she worked
as a research assistant for Harvard’s Center for International Development.
She is now studying for a master’s degree in geography at the University
of Oregon, with plans to pursue a PhD in African studies. Always an avid
reader, Javdani cites her father and the children’s authors Shel Silverstein
and Roald Dahl as her early inspirations to write. She is also a musician, cur-
rently playing the marimba, an African percussion instrument similar to the
xylophone.
Plata o Plomo: Silver or Lead
Like Chitra Divakaruni in the previous selection, Javdani is concerned in
this essay with how actions taken in the United States can affect people in
foreign lands, often without our realizing it. To make her argument concrete,
Javdani tells the stories of two boys, Eric, an American, and Miguel, a
Colombian. (Colombia is a country in South America.) Reminding us that
global problems start and end with people, the boys represent cause and effect
at their most speciﬁc. Javdani wrote this paper for her freshman writing course
and revised it for The Bedford Reader in 2004. It is documented in MLA style,
described on pages 62–73, except that italic type replaces underlining.
At 8:00 on a Friday night, Eric walks down the street in his American
hometown whistling. Tonight, for the ﬁrst time in almost a week, Eric does
not have to do homework or chores. Tonight Eric is a free spirit. Best of all,
tonight Eric has scored some drugs. He and his friends will trade their bland,
controlled existence for some action and a little bit of fun.
At 8:00 on a Friday night, Miguel creeps down the road in his Colombian
village praying. Tonight, for the last time in his life, Miguel will have to watch
where he is going and listen anxiously for distant gunshots. Tonight Miguel
will die. The guerillas who have been threatening him and his father will end
his life for some coca and a lot of money.
Eric and Miguel represent opposite poles in what the United States gov-
ernment refers to as the “war on drugs.” Miguel’s home is where it starts. In his
little village, drug production is the only possible way of life. Eric’s home is
where it ends. In his suburban paradise, the stress of homework and ex-
girlfriends requires weekend breaks for drugs. All but ignoring both youths,
congresspeople, governors, and presidents talk about how their actions will
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combat the flow of drugs into our homeland. In an attempt to find the quickest
route around a complicated problem, the United States sends billions in aid
dollars every year to the governments of Latin American “drug-source” coun-
tries such as Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Peru (Carpenter 205). But the
solution isn’t working: Political turmoil and violence continue to plague the
countries to which we are sending aid, and illegal drug use in the United States
remains fairly constant (Vásquez 571–75). To begin to solve the problem, we
need to understand what’s happening in drug-source countries, how the United
States can and can’t help there, and what, instead, can be done at home.
Miguel’s country, Colombia, is one of the top recipients of US money and
military weaponry and equipment. According to the US Department of State,
Colombia produces nearly 80 percent of the world’s cocaine as well as a sig-
nificant amount of the US heroin supply. Drug production has become a way
of life for Colombians. Some call it the plata o plomo mentality. As Gonzalo
Sanchez explains it, plata o plomo is literally translated as “silver or lead” and
means that one can either take the money—drug money, bribe money, and so
on—or take a bullet (7). Since 1964, the country has been essentially run by
drug lords and leftist extremists, mainly the FARC (the military wing of the
Colombian Communist Party), whose guerilla presence is much stronger and
more threatening than that of the actual government. In response, extreme
right-wing paramilitary forces act in an equally deadly manner. Both of these
groups raid villages continually, looking to root out “traitors” and executing
whomever they please (Sanchez 12–15).
According to the humanitarian organization Human Rights Watch, US
aid money has helped fund, supply, and train Colombian military units that
maintain close alliances with paramilitary groups. Although Colombia has
recently taken a tougher stance toward the paramilitaries and peace negotia-
tions are in progress, the US State Department, major human rights organiza-
tions, and the United Nations claim that the Colombian government is still
linked to illicit paramilitary activities. For example, government forces have
often invaded, emptied, and then left a guerilla-held area, clearing the way for
paramilitary fighters to take control (Carpenter 162). Human rights groups
also criticize what Adam Isacson calls a “forgive and forget” government pol-
icy toward paramilitary leaders accused of crimes, including promises of
amnesty in return for gradual demobilization (251–52). Although the US has
threatened to suspend aid if Colombia does not break such ties with paramil-
itary groups, the full amount of promised aid continues to be granted (Human
Rights Watch).
For the past forty years, the people of Colombia have found themselves
between a rock and a hard place over the production of coca, the plant used
for making cocaine and heroin. Under threats from the rebel drug lords, who
Javdani / Plata o Plomo: Silver or Lead 449
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now control many areas, civilians must either allow their land to be cultivated
for the growth of coca or put themselves and their families at deadly risk. At
the same time, however, the consequence of “cooperation” with the rebels is
execution by paramilitary groups or even by the Colombian government.
Some coca farmers, fearful of the government, willingly form alliances with
rebels who offer to protect their farms for a fee (Vásquez 572).
Entire villages get caught in the crossfire between paramilitaries and
rebels. In the past ten years, over 35,000 civilians have lost their lives in the
conflict and hundreds of thousands have been forced from their homes (Car-
penter 215). A terrible incident in the town of Bellavista was reported in the
New York Times in 2002 (Forero, “Colombian War”). Paramilitary forces took
over the town in an attempt to gain control of jungle smuggling routes. When
leftist rebels arrived ready to fight a battle, the paramilitaries fled, leaving the
civilians trapped and defenseless. Most of the villagers huddled together in
their church, and 117 were killed when a stray rocket destroyed the church.
What is to be done to prevent such atrocities? The United States rushes
aid to Colombia, hoping to stop the violence and the drugs. Unfortunately,
the solutions attempted so far have had their own bad results. For instance,
eradicating coca fields has alienated peasants, who then turn to the rebels for
support, and it has also escalated violence over the reduced coca supply
(Vásquez 575). Money intended to help peasants establish alternative crops
has ended up buying weapons for branches of the military that support para-
military operations (Human Rights Watch). Not long ago $2 million in-
tended for the Colombian police just disappeared (Forero, “Two Million”).
Obviously, the United States needs to monitor how its dollars are used in
Colombia. It can continue to discourage the Colombian government from sup-
porting the paramilitaries and encourage it to seek peace among the warring
factions. But ultimately the United States is limited in what it can do by inter-
national law and by the tolerance of the US people for foreign intervention.
Instead, the United States should be looking to its homefront and should
focus on cutting the demand for drugs. Any economist will affirm that where
there is demand, there will be supply. A report by the United Nations Office
on Drugs and Crime connects this basic economic principle to illegal drugs:
Production of illicit drugs is market driven. In the United States alone, illicit
drugs are an $80 billion market. More than $70 billion of that amount goes
to traffickers, those who bring the drugs to market. Stopping the demand
would stop their business. (26)
The United States should reduce demand by dramatically increasing both
treatment and education. The first will help people stop using drugs. The sec-
ond will make users aware of the consequences of their choices.
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The war on drugs is not fought just in the jungles of some distant country.
It takes place daily at our schools, in our homes, and on our streets. People my
age who justify their use of illegal drugs by saying “It’s my life, and I can do
with it what I please” should be made aware that they are funding drug lords
and contributing to the suffering of people across the globe, including in
Colombia. Eric’s “little bit of fun” is costing Miguel his life.
Works Cited
Carpenter, Ted Galen. Peace and Freedom: Foreign Policy for a Constitutional
Republic. Washington: Cato, 2002.
Forero, Juan. “Colombian War Brings Carnage to Village Altar.” New York
Times 9 May 2002. LexisNexis Academic. LexisNexis. U Oregon, Knight
Lib. 18 Mar. 2004 <http:// www.lexisnexis.com>.
---. “Two Million in US Aid to Colombia Missing from Colombian Police
Fund.” New York Times 11 May 2002. LexisNexis Academic. LexisNexis. U
Oregon, Knight Lib. 18 Mar. 2004 <http://www.lexisnexis.com>.
Human Rights Watch. World Report 2003. 2004. Human Rights Watch. 9 Mar.
2004 <http://www.hrw.org/wr2k3.html>.
Isacson, Adam. “Optimism, Pessimism, and Terrorism: The United States and
Colombia in 2003.” Brown Journal of World Affairs 10.2 (2004): 245–55.
Sanchez, Gonzalo. Violence in Colombia. Wilmington: Scholarly Resources,
1992.
United Nations. Ofﬁce on Drugs and Crime. Drug Consumption Stimulates
Cultivation and Trade. 3 Dec. 2003. 18 Mar. 2004 <http://www.unodc.org
/unodc/report2003-12-3.html>.
United States. Dept. of State. International Narcotics Control Strategy Report,
2003. Jan. 2004. 12 Mar. 2004 <http://www.state.gov/g/inl/rls/nrcrpt
/2003/>.
Vásquez, Ian. “The International War on Drugs.” Cato Handbook for Congress:
Policy Recommendations for the 108th Congress. Ed. Edward H. Crane and
David Boaz. Washington: Cato, 2003. 567–76. Cato Institute. 2003. 18 Mar.
2004 <http://www.cato.org/pubs/handbook/hb108/hb108-56.pdf>.
Javdani / Plata o Plomo: Silver or Lead 451
11
For a reading quiz and annotated links to further readings on the causes and effects
of the illegal drug trade, visit bedfordstmartins.com/thebedfordreader.

Journal Writing
What do you think about Javdani’s solution to the twin problems of violence in drug-
producing countries and drug use in the United States (pars. 10–11)? Do you think
her solution would work? Why, or why not? (To take your journal writing further, see
“From Journal to Essay” below.)
Questions on Meaning
1. Where does Javdani state her THESIS? How does she develop the thesis?
2. Why do the Colombian peasants often support the Communist rebels rather than
the government?
3. What, according to Javdani, are the problems caused by the US government’s
sending “billions in aid dollars every year to the governments of Latin American
‘drug-source’ countries” (par. 3)? What does Javdani offer as a solution?
Questions on Writing Strategy
1. Who seems to be Javdani’s intended AUDIENCE for this essay? How does she
appeal to this audience?
2. With whom do Javdani’s sympathies lie? What EVIDENCE in the essay supports
your answer?
3. Javdani cites a variety of outside sources throughout the essay. What is the EFFECT
of her use of these sources?
4. OTHER METHODS Why does Javdani use COMPARISON AND CONTRAST in her
opening paragraphs? What is the effect of her returning to this comparison in her
conclusion?
Questions on Language
1. In paragraph 6 Javdani describes the people of Colombia as “between a rock and
a hard place over the production of coca.” What does she mean?
2. How and why does Javdani use IRONY to describe Eric in paragraph 3?
3. Why does Javdani use quotation marks around traitors (par. 4) and coopera-
tion (6)?
4. Consult a dictionary if you are unsure of the meanings of any of the following
words: guerillas (par. 2); turmoil, plague (3); paramilitary (4); humanitarian,
amnesty, demobilization (5); atrocities, eradicating, alienated (8).
Suggestions for Writing
1. FROM JOURNAL TO ESSAY Working from your journal writing and, like Javdani,
drawing on research, develop an essay that lays out your view of the most effec-
tive ways to curtail either the production or the consumption of illegal drugs.

Which current US government efforts are successful, and which fall short? What
more could be done?
2. Write a report on the use of illegal drugs by US adolescents, focusing on an aspect
of the problem that interests you, such as how widespread it is, what groups it
affects most and least, or what drugs are involved. An excellent starting place for
your research is Monitoring the Future, a long-term study of “the behavior, atti-
tudes, and values” of students and young adults. Its 2006 report, National Results
on Adolescent Drug Use, is available at monitoringthefuture.org/pubs/monographs
/overview2006.pdf./overview2006.pdf/overview2006.pdf
3. CRITICAL WRITING Is Javdani’s essay an effective ARGUMENT? Consider the
development of the thesis, the organization, the evidence, and the clarity of the
presentation. What would you say are the strengths and weaknesses of this argu-
ment?
4. CONNECTIONS Javdani’s essay and Chitra Divakaruni’s “Live Free and Starve”
(p. 442) both look at effects of globalization, the increasing economic, cultural,
and political connections among nations and their people. Write a brief essay dis-
cussing what you see as the main advantages and the main disadvantages of glob-
alization. For instance, advantages might include the availability in this country
of varied ethnic foods or of relatively inexpensive consumer goods that were pro-
duced elsewhere, while disadvantages might include the loss of American manu-
facturing jobs to foreign factories or the strong international drug trade.
Marie Javdani on Writing
In an interview for The Bedford Reader, we asked Marie Javdani to describe
her writing process.
Depending on my writing topic, it can often take a while to get a good
start. If it’s a topic I chose myself and am interested in or am at least somewhat
knowledgeable about, the ﬁrst steps are usually much easier. I usually start by
brainstorming an outline by just writing things as I think of them. What ques-
tions do I want to answer? How does this topic actually affect people? Once I
get a start, the writing process usually goes fairly quickly. I try to write in a way
that I would speak if I were, for instance, teaching on the subject. That tends
to make my work more readable. As for the introduction, I try to stay away
from prescribed formats. I try to think of what would make me want to read
more about a topic or to put a spin on it that makes it stand out. Also, I tend
to write my introduction last. I’ve found that if I write it ﬁrst it typically doesn’t
match what I write once I get “on a roll.” If I plan ahead properly, I don’t usu-
ally have to do more than two drafts unless I come upon new research that
Marie Javdani on Writing 453

makes me need to rearrange my arguments. I try to write early enough to leave
it alone for a few days before I go back and proofread it.
Javdani also offered suggestions for college writers based on her own experi-
ences as a student.
From a student’s perspective, the best thing you can do to improve your
writing is to be interested in your topic. On the same note, however, don’t
soapbox. Just say what you want to say, support it, and move on. If you’re writ-
ing for an assignment for which you weren’t able to choose the topic, try to
take an angle that you think no one else will take. . . . Do take the time to
spell-check and edit your writing. The spelling checker on the computer is not
sufﬁcient. You’re (not your) in college and you know (not no) better. Try read-
ing your writing out loud to yourself. If it doesn’t sound good when you say it,
it doesn’t sound good on paper either.
For Discussion
1. Do you share Javdani’s experience that it’s usually easier to write when you’re
interested in your topic? How does your writing process differ when you’re inter-
ested beforehand from when you’re not?
2. Why do you think Javdani advises “don’t soapbox”? (If you aren’t sure what soap-
box means, look it up in a dictionary.)

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