Matthew Cox

So for the first time, you had two Soviet client states in the Western Hemisphere, and you had revolutionary insurgent groups operating in Guatemala, operating in El Salvador, operating in Honduras.

It's looking like the commies are on the march.

And so from the Reagan administration's perspective, the

Colombians became a threat.

The cartels became a threat, not because they're communists or communist sympathizers.

No, these are just hardcore capitalists.

But what Colombia's mistake was is that they failed to appreciate how the Americans were going to view their activities, which indirectly supported the communists.

So when they're flying their planes from Colombia to Miami, or later on from Colombia to Mexico, they're stopping off in Nicaragua

Because they need to refill their aircraft.

Well, who controls the territory?

The communists.

So they clear cut a landing strip, plane lands.

They're paying cold hard cash every time they land.

They're paying cold hard cash for the fuel.

Well, this is an indirect source of capital for the local indigenous groups that is coming independent of the Soviets.

Right.

So now suddenly the Colombians became perceived as a threat because you're supporting these guys, not politically, you're supporting them financially.

Right.

Well, that's why you had this panic set in.

This is ultimately what gave rise to the Iran-Contra affair.