The Fellowship Of Reconciliation Report on Colombia - June 27, 2005
compiled by Michael Tivana
The FOR calls for national and international solidarity to demand that the strategy of terror against the San Jose Peace Community and the civilian population in the district comes to an end. We ask that all people demand respect for the Peace Community’s process and for humanitarian zones developed in the region. The civilian population has the right to live in dignity. We will continue defending this principle, even if it costs us our lives.
Here is an update on the US role in Columbia and how to influence it.
Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill is a huge expense that spends almost $200 billion a year on Military Contractors which are no more than mercenaries to protect corporate profits for a few privileged companies. The US has military contractors around the world and last year four US Military Contractors were killed in Columbia. Most Military Contractors are guided by a nefarious policy to protect US interests. In the case of Columbia these interests are broad and favor oil.
§ The US has provided more than $3 billion in aid under Plan Colombia to protect US interests
§ Exxon Mobil helped develop El Cerrejón Zona Norte, Colombia's 30-mile-long and more than two-mile-wide coal mine
§ Occidental Petroleum Corporation, one of the largest U.S. based oil and gas multinationals, owns the large Caño Limón oil field
§ Dole Food controls one-fifth of Colombia's banana and flower exports
§ Coca-Cola's labor practices in Colombia have become the focus of a recent lawsuit. The suit alleges that the company was complicit in paramilitary executions of several union leaders organizing at Coca-Cola bottling plants. (Nearly 4,000 trade unionists have been murdered in Colombia since 1986, more than in any other place in the world)
§ Philip Morris undercuts local tobacco farmers by importing American cigarettes, forcing many to turn to coca production in order to sustain their farms. Price-cutting is a typical symptom of ‘Globalization’ worldwide.
§ Up to 800 U.S. troops are permitted in Colombia, according to U.S. law, to train Colombian armed forces and provide logistical support to the Columbian Army
§ Up to 600 Americans are also permitted in the country as U.S. government contractors – military contractors or mercenaries
§ Wed May 4, 2004 - Colombian police arrested two U.S. soldiers for alleged involvement in a plot to traffic thousands of rounds of ammunition — possibly to outlawed right-wing paramilitary groups
§ The cache was composed of 32,000 rounds of ammunition sent to Colombia by the United States under its Plan Colombia aid program
§ Jairo Clopatofsky, a member of the Colombian Senate's foreign relations committee, said he believes the arrested soldiers are part of a broader arms and drugs smuggling ring that may include important U.S. officials – smells like the arms for drugs scandal in the 80’s
§ DynCorp - The largest private military contractor operating in Colombia, DynCorp is a private subcontractor of security and communications services to federal agencies, including the U.S. Departments of Defense, Energy, State and Justice. DynCorp is sometimes described by critics as being in the "mercenary" business. Mercenaries roam outside the rule of law
§ DynCorp was awarded a five-year $170 million contract in 1998 to conduct operations in Colombia, they supply security for the oil pipeline
§ British Petroleum (the mercenary company) - Many of the tortured and decapitated bodies - community leaders, trade unionists, church workers, peasant farmers and human rights defenders - are buried in the land around the pipeline. The private Colombian security forces implicated in this dirty war escape punishment
§ Bell and Sikorsky -- spent roughly $900,000 and $700,000 respectively to convince Congress to buy their aircraft for counter-drug operations in Colombia. Plan Colombia calls for purchasing 42 of Bell's helicopters and 30 of Sikorsky's
§ Under Plan Colombia, Sikorsky was awarded contracts totaling $235 million, to provide the Colombian air force, army and national police with 30 Black Hawk helicopters
§ On Feb. 20-22, 2005 at least two Black Hawk helicopters were involved in the massacre of 7 people in San Jose de Apartado, a permanent FOR peace village
§ The Colombian military is requesting 12 more Black Hawks in 2006
Time is up for Plan Colombia. Act now!
This week Congress will vote on more money for the next phase of Plan Colombia - as much as $750 million for 2006. The six-year policy of mostly military aid expires this year, and new money won't rescue a failed plan. It's critical that we make our voices heard at this point in the process!
The time to act is NOW. The FY2006 Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill, which funds military aid to Colombia, is headed to the floor for a full House vote on June 28 or 29. Promote peace in Colombia by urging your representative to support any amendment to cut military aid to Colombia.
On or before June 27th, call your members of Congress and tell them to vote YES on Rep. McGovern's amendment to cut military spending to Colombia.
Call the congressional directory at 202-224-3121 or visit http://www.house.gov/ to find out who your representative is. For talking points and more information on Colombia and US policy please visit http://peaceincolombia.org
See the flash movie! This week is a week of action for peace in Colombia! View the flash movie and send an automated fax to your representative by visiting http://peaceincolombia.org and clicking on "Watch the Peace In Colombia movie" in the action box.
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Fellowship of Reconciliation
Task Force on Latin America and the Caribbean
2017 Mission St. #305
San Francisco, CA 94110
phone: (415) 495-6334, fax: (415) 495-5628
www.forusa.org
The Civilian Population has the right to live in dignity.