We|PRP do|VBP n't|RB know|VB who|WP is|VBZ winning|VBG the|DT drug|NN war|NN in|IN Latin|NNP America|NNP ,|, but|CC we|PRP know|VBP who|WP 's|VBZ losing|VBG it|PRP --|: the|DT press|NN .|. 
Over|IN the|DT past|JJ six|CD months|NNS ,|, six|CD journalists|NNS have|VBP been|VBN killed|VBN and|CC 10|CD kidnapped|VBN by|IN drug|NN traffickers|NNS or|CC leftist|JJ guerrillas|NNS --|: who|WP often|RB are|VBP one|CD and|CC the|DT same|JJ --|: in|IN Colombia|NNP .|. 
Over|IN the|DT past|JJ 12|CD years|NNS ,|, at|IN least|JJS 40|CD journalists|NNS have|VBP died|VBN there|RB .|. 
The|DT attacks|NNS have|VBP intensified|VBN since|IN the|DT Colombian|JJ government|NN began|VBD cracking|VBG down|RB on|IN the|DT traffickers|NNS in|IN August|NNP ,|, trying|VBG to|TO prevent|VB their|PRP$ takeover|NN of|IN the|DT country|NN .|. 

The|DT slaughter|NN in|IN Colombia|NNP was|VBD very|RB much|RB on|IN the|DT minds|NNS of|IN 450|CD editors|NNS and|CC publishers|NNS from|IN Latin|NNP America|NNP ,|, the|DT United|NNP States|NNPS ,|, the|DT Caribbean|NNP and|CC Canada|NNP attending|VBG the|DT 45th|JJ general|JJ assembly|NN of|IN the|DT Inter-|NNP American|NNP Press|NNP Association|NNP in|IN Monterrey|NNP ,|, Mexico|NNP ,|, this|DT week|NN .|. 
On|IN Tuesday|NNP the|DT conference|NN got|VBD word|NN of|IN another|DT atrocity|NN ,|, the|DT assassination|NN in|IN Medellin|NNP of|IN two|CD employees|NNS of|IN El|NNP Espectador|NNP ,|, Colombia|NNP 's|POS second-largest|JJ newspaper|NN .|. 
The|DT paper|NN 's|POS local|JJ administrator|NN ,|, Maria|NNP Luz|NNP Lopez|NNP ,|, was|VBD shot|VBN dead|JJ ,|, and|CC her|PRP$ mother|NN wounded|VBN ,|, while|IN her|PRP$ car|NN was|VBD stopped|VBN for|IN a|DT red|JJ light|NN .|. 
An|DT hour|NN later|RB ,|, the|DT paper|NN 's|POS circulation|NN manager|NN ,|, Miguel|NNP Soler|NNP ,|, was|VBD shot|VBN and|CC killed|VBN near|IN his|PRP$ home|NN .|. 

The|DT drug|NN lords|NNS who|WP claimed|VBD responsibility|NN said|VBD they|PRP would|MD blow|VB up|RP the|DT Bogota|NNP newspaper|NN 's|POS offices|NNS if|IN it|PRP continued|VBD to|TO distribute|VB in|IN Medellin|NNP .|. 
They|PRP bombed|VBD the|DT Bogota|NNP offices|NNS last|JJ month|NN ,|, destroying|VBG its|PRP$ computer|NN and|CC causing|VBG $2.5|NN million|CD in|IN damage|NN .|. 

El|NNP Espectador|NNP has|VBZ been|VBN a|DT special|JJ target|NN because|IN of|IN the|DT extraordinary|JJ courage|NN of|IN its|PRP$ publisher|NN and|CC his|PRP$ staff|NN .|. 
At|IN Monterrey|NNP ,|, publisher|NN Luis|NNP Gabriel|NNP Cano|NNP ,|, although|IN shaken|VBN by|IN the|DT murders|NNS ,|, issued|VBD a|DT statement|NN saying|VBG :|: "|'' We|PRP will|MD not|RB cease|VB our|PRP$ fight|NN against|IN drug|NN trafficking|NN .|. 
They|PRP want|VBP to|TO terrify|VB the|DT press|NN and|CC in|IN particular|JJ El|NNP Espectador|NNP because|IN it|PRP has|VBZ always|RB been|VBN a|DT torchbearer|NN in|IN this|DT war|NN .|. "|'' 
This|DT comes|VBZ from|IN a|DT man|NN whose|WP$ brother|NN ,|, Guillermo|NNP ,|, was|VBD murdered|VBN in|IN 1986|CD .|. 

The|DT publishers|NNS in|IN Monterrey|NNP command|NN no|DT battalions|NNS ,|, but|CC they|PRP agreed|VBD to|TO express|VB their|PRP$ outrage|NN with|IN editorials|NNS in|IN today|NN 's|POS editions|NNS .|. 
Many|JJ will|MD use|VB a|DT common|JJ editorial|NN .|. 
A|DT final|JJ statement|NN yesterday|NN said|VBD :|: "|'' While|IN some|DT advances|NNS are|VBP being|VBG made|VBN in|IN nations|NNS throughout|IN the|DT hemisphere|NN ,|, the|DT state|NN of|IN press|NN freedom|NN in|IN the|DT Americas|NNPS still|RB must|MD be|VB regarded|VBN as|RB grim|JJ as|IN long|RB as|IN journalists|NNS and|CC their|PRP$ families|NNS are|VBP subject|JJ to|TO the|DT crudest|JJS form|NN of|IN censorship|NN :|: death|NN by|IN assassination|NN .|. "|'' 

The|DT report|NN charged|VBN that|IN Panama|NNP 's|POS Manuel|NNP Noriega|NNP is|VBZ not|RB only|RB in|IN league|NN with|IN the|DT drug|NN traffickers|NNS but|CC also|RB is|VBZ bullying|VBG the|DT press|NN as|RB never|RB before|RB .|. 
"|'' Noriega|NNP has|VBZ closed|VBN every|DT independent|JJ newspaper|NN ,|, radio|NN and|CC television|NN station|NN and|CC arrested|VBN ,|, tortured|JJ or|CC forced|VBN into|IN exile|NN a|DT long|JJ list|NN of|IN reporters|NNS ,|, "|'' the|DT statement|NN declared|VBD .|. 

It|PRP added|VBD :|: "|'' In|IN Cuba|NNP ,|, public|JJ enemy|NN No.|NN 1|CD of|IN press|NN freedoms|NNS in|IN the|DT hemisphere|NN ,|, repression|NN of|IN journalists|NNS both|DT Cuban|JJ and|CC foreign|JJ is|VBZ worse|RBR than|IN ever|RB .|. "|'' 
And|CC in|IN Nicaragua|NNP ,|, promises|NNS of|IN press|NN freedom|NN by|IN the|DT Sandinistas|NNS "|'' have|VBP not|RB materialized|VBN .|. "|'' 

As|IN it|PRP happens|VBZ ,|, the|DT four|CD countries|NNS cited|VBD ,|, Colombia|NNP ,|, Cuba|NNP ,|, Panama|NNP and|CC Nicaragua|NNP ,|, are|VBP not|RB only|RB where|WRB the|DT press|NN is|VBZ under|IN greatest|JJS attack|NN but|CC also|RB are|VBP linked|VBN by|IN the|DT drug|NN trade|NN and|CC left-wing|JJ politics|NNS .|. 
Noriega|NNP is|VBZ close|JJ to|TO Castro|NNP and|CC may|MD once|RB have|VB been|VBN his|PRP$ agent|NN .|. 
Sandinistas|NNP Thomas|NNP Borge|NNP and|CC the|DT Ortega|NNP brothers|NNS are|VBP Castro|NNP proteges|NNS ;|: he|PRP backed|VBD their|PRP$ takeover|NN of|IN Nicaragua|NNP .|. 
In|IN Colombia|NNP ,|, the|DT drug-financed|JJ guerrillas|NNS trying|VBG to|TO seize|VB the|DT country|NN and|CC destroy|VB democracy|NN include|VBP M-|NNP 19|CD ,|, which|WDT Castro|NNP has|VBZ clearly|RB backed|VBN .|. 

Robert|NNP Merkel|NNP ,|, a|DT former|JJ U.S.|NNP attorney|NN handling|VBG drug|NN indictments|NNS in|IN Florida|NNP ,|, does|VBZ n't|RB think|VB for|IN a|DT minute|NN that|IN Castro|NNP 's|POS much|RB publicized|VBN trials|NNS of|IN high|JJ officials|NNS engaged|VBN in|IN the|DT drug|NN trade|NN mean|NN he|PRP has|VBZ broken|VBN off|RP with|IN the|DT Medellin|NNP drug|NN cartel|NN .|. 
"|'' If|IN the|DT cartel|NN succeeds|VBZ in|IN blackmailing|VBG the|DT Colombian|JJ authorities|NNS into|IN negotiations|NNS ,|, the|DT cartel|NN will|MD be|VB in|IN control|NN and|CC Fidel|NNP can|MD exploit|VB his|PRP$ past|JJ relationships|NNS with|IN them|PRP ,|, "|'' he|PRP told|VBD the|DT Journal|NNP 's|POS David|NNP Asman|NNP recently|RB .|. 

The|DT struggle|NN against|IN the|DT drug|NN lords|NNS in|IN Colombia|NNP will|MD be|VB a|DT near|JJ thing|NN .|. 
This|DT week|NN ,|, the|DT government|NN arrested|VBD Jose|NNP Abello|NNP Silva|NNP ,|, said|VBD to|TO be|VB the|DT fourth-ranking|JJ cartel|NN leader|NN .|. 
He|PRP will|MD probably|RB be|VB extradited|VBN to|TO the|DT U.S.|NNP for|IN trial|NN under|IN an|DT extradition|NN treaty|NN President|NNP Virgilia|NNP Barco|NNP has|VBZ revived|VBN .|. 
Later|RB ,|, another|DT high-ranking|JJ trafficker|NN ,|, Leonidas|NNP Vargas|NNP ,|, was|VBD arrested|VBN and|CC 1,000|CD pounds|NNS of|IN dynamite|NN seized|VBN .|. 
Mr.|NN Barco|NNP has|VBZ refused|VBN U.S.|NNP troops|NNS or|CC advisers|NNS but|CC has|VBZ accepted|VBN U.S.|NNP military|JJ aid|NN .|. 

President|NNP Bush|NNP has|VBZ agreed|VBN to|TO meet|VB within|IN 90|CD days|NNS with|IN Mr.|NN Barco|NNP ,|, President|NNP Alan|NNP Garcia|NNP of|IN Peru|NNP and|CC President|NNP Jaime|NNP Paz|NNP Zamora|NNP of|IN Bolivia|NNP to|TO discuss|VB the|DT drug|NN problem|NN .|. 
It|PRP might|MD not|RB be|VB a|DT bad|JJ idea|NN to|TO do|VB that|DT sooner|RBR ,|, rather|RB than|IN later|RB .|. 
After|IN the|DT Panama|NNP fiasco|NN ,|, they|PRP will|MD need|VB some|DT reassurance|NN .|. 
Certainly|RB ,|, the|DT Colombian|JJ press|NN is|VBZ much|JJ in|IN need|NN of|IN that|DT .|. 

