  Energetic and concrete action has been taken in Colombia during the
past 60 days against the mafiosi of the drug trade, but it has not been
sufficiently effective, because, unfortunately, it came too late.
   Ten years ago, the newspaper El Espectador, of which my brother
Guillermo was editor, began warning of the rise of the drug mafias and
of their leaders' aspirations to control Colombian politics, especially
the Congress.
   Then, when it would have been easier to resist them, nothing was
done and my brother was murdered by the drug mafias three years ago.
   The most ruthless dictatorships have not censored their press more
brutally than the drug mafias censor Colombia's.
   The censorship is enforced through terrorism and assassination.
   In the past 10 years about 50 journalists have been silenced forever,
murdered.
   Within the past two months a bomb exploded in the offices of the
El Espectador in Bogota, destroying a major part of its installations
and equipment.
   And only last week the newspaper Vanguardia Liberal in the city
of Bucaramanga was bombed, and its installations destroyed.
   Journalists and their families are constantly threatened as are
the newspaper distribution outlets.
  Distribution centers are bombed, and advertisers are intimidated.
  Censorship is imposed by terrorism.
  If the Colombian media accept this new and hideous censorship there
is little doubt that the drug mafia's terrorism someday will extend to
all the newspapers published in the free world.
  The solidarity of the uncensored media world-wide against drug
terrorism is the only way press freedom can survive.
  The American people and their government also woke up too late
to the menace drugs posed to the moral structure of their country.
  Even now, the American attack upon this tremendous problem is
timid in relation to the magnitude of the threat.
  I can attest that a recent Colombian visitor to the U.S. was offered
drugs three times in the few blocks' walk between Grand Central Terminal
and the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in midtown Manhattan.
  Colombia alone -- its government, its people, its newspapers--does
not have the capacity to fight this battle successfully.
  All drug-consuming countries must jointly decide to combat and
punish the consumers and distributors of drugs.
  The U.S., as the major drug consumer, should lead this joint
effort.
  Reduction, if not the total cessation, of drug consumption is
the requirement for victory.
  Much is being done in Colombia to fight the drug cartel mafia.
  Luxurious homes and ranches have been raided by the military authorities, and sophisticated and powerful communications equipment have been seized.
  More than 300 planes and helicopters have been impounded at airports, and a large number of vehicles and launches has been confiscated.
  The military has also captured enormous arsenals of powerful and
sophisticated weapons, explosives and other war-like materiel.
  Much has been accomplished and public opinion decisively supports
the government and the army -- but, on the other hand, none of the key
drug barons have been captured.
  There has been a lot of talk that a large portion of the Colombian
economy is sustained by the laundering of drug money.
  In my opinion, this is not true.
  Laundered drug money has served only to increase, unrealistically, the price of real estate, creating serious problems for low-income people
who aspire to own their own homes.
  Drug money has also gone to buy expensive cars, airplanes,  launches and nightclubs where drugs are consumed.   But most of the drug money is kept in investments and in financial institutions outside Colombia.
  In fact, the cooperation of those financial institutions is essential
to the success of the drug battle.
  What is of much more importance to the Colombian economy than the
supposed benefits of laundered drug money is higher prices for Colombia
's legitimate products.
  The price of coffee has gone down almost 45% since the beginning
of the year, to the lowest level (after inflation) since the Great Depression.
  Market conditions point to even lower prices next year.
  The 27-year-old coffee cartel had to be formally dissolved this
summer.
  As a result, Colombia will earn $500 million less from its coffee
this year than last.
  Our coffee growers face reductions in their income, and this tempts
them to contemplate substituting coca crops for coffee.
  U.S. interests occasionally try to impose barriers to the import
of another important Colombian export -- cut flowers -- into the American
market.
  A just price and an open market for what Colombian produces and
exports should be the policy of the U.S.
  I take advantage of this opportunity given to me by The Wall Street
Journal to make a plea to the millions of readers of this newspaper, to
become soldiers dedicated to the fight against the use of drugs.
  Each gram of cocaine consumed is a deadly bullet against those
in our country and in the rest of the world who fight this terrible scourge.
  A crusade of NO to the consumption of drugs is imperative.
  Mr. Cano is president of El Espectador, a newspaper founded by
