May 5, 2005

On April 26th, grassroots activists from around the country flooded the Congress and the State Department with thousands of calls and faxes demanding a new US-Colombia policy. Participants from Minnesota, Illinois and the Carolinas were particularly active during the Call-In Day. Thanks to all who participated, your message was strong and clear!

The Call-In Day came at a crucial time in the debate over changing policy. Plan Colombia is up for reconsideration this year, yet the Bush Administration is asking for exactly the same aid package: another $731 million in aid in 2006, 80 percent of which would go to the Colombian military and police. We need to urge our members of Congress to rethink this failed strategy and create a plan that supports human rights, assists communities caught in the conflict, and provides a sustainable solution to the problem of drugs. There is another way: see the Blueprint for a New Colombia Policy, and look at ways to use this educational tool with your members of Congress.

This moment is also important because the State Department has pending before it a decision on whether to approve a percentage of last year’s military aid, based on whether the Secretary of State believes that Colombia has met the human rights conditions. The State Department could have certified “yes” in March, but it has not yet done so. Letters and calls of concern to your members of Congress and the State Department about the San José de Apartadó massacre is playing an important role.

Next Steps:
Vigils for Peace in Colombia

Join peace advocates across the country in vigils expressing concern about human rights violations in Colombia and US support for Colombia’s military! Human rights abuses by the military have increased since the beginning of US involvement in 2000, yet the US continues to provide billions of dollars in military aid.

Stand up for peace in Colombia by participating in a vigil in your area, or organize one of your own. For more information on vigils near you, including a calendar and information on arranging a vigil, visit the Peace in Colombia website at http://www.peaceincolombia.org/vigils.htm

Vigils around the country advocating for peace in Colombia were started in March of 2005 as a response to the massacre of 8 residents of the San José de Apartadó peace community, which has rejected the presence of all armed forces since its formation in 1997. Long-time human rights activist Luis Eduardo Guerra was one of the eight. The community holds the Colombian military responsible while the government is blaming guerrilla forces, and the government has responded by reinstating police presence in San José de Apartadó. A full, transparent investigation of the massacre is necessary in order to ensure justice in this case. For more information on the San José de Apartadó massacre and its implications click here.

The San José de Apartadó is certainly not the only recent case of human rights abuses by the Colombian army, but it has become a high-profile case, along with many other cases, important in the certification process this spring. US law requires that twice a year the State Department certify that the Colombian military is improving its human rights record in order to be able to release 25% percent of the year’s military aid (12.5% at a time).

We should continue to urge the State Department not to certify that Colombia meets the human rights conditions until there is a thorough and transparent investigation of the San José de Apartadó case; further progress in suspending, investigating and prosecuting security force members involved in grave human rights violations; and much greater progress in breaking links between the army and violent paramilitary forces.

Take Action!
House Hearing on Plan Colombia Scheduled for May 11

The House International Relations Committee is scheduled to hold a hearing on Wednesday, May 11 to discuss the progress of Plan Colombia and consider how to proceed with aid in 2006. US Drug Czar John Walters is expected to highlight the “successes” of Plan Colombia in the War on Drugs. We need to show them that there is another way.

If your congressional member is on the House International Relations Committee we need your help! A quick phone call, e-mail or fax to their office will help balance the "stacked deck"-- and will hopefully result in members of the committee asking some tough questions of the witnesses. Let's not let this opportunity slip by! If the committee members don't hear from us, they'll be hearing mainly from people who believe that Plan Colombia has worked, and that we need more of the same.

Call your member to let her or him know that Plan Colombia is not working and that he or she must raise tough questions in the hearing. It's best to ask to speak with the IR Committee staffer when you call. If you don't know who your member of Congress is, see http://www.house.gov/writerep. You can reach your members' office by calling the Congressional Switchboard at 202-224-3121.

Sample call script

(calls are best, but this script can be revised to send as an e-mail or fax):

"I'm a constituent from ____ calling with regards to the upcoming hearing on Plan Colombia. I know that Rep. ____ will be hearing from a number of witnesses on Wednesday who will express support for the current policy of military aid and fumigation. I'd like my representative to challenge the witnesses on that point, because the current policy hasn't worked.

The Office of National Drug Control Policy recently came out with a report that showed that drug production in Colombia didn't budge last year, even though a record number of acres of coca were sprayed. The price of cocaine on our streets hasn't changed, either. Fumigation is an ineffective and inhumane policy, and a waste of our money. Why does the US continue to fund and support fumigation considering the ineffectiveness of this policy?

One of Plan Colombia’s original goals was to improve the grave human rights situation in the country. But I'm disturbed that human rights violations by the Colombian military have increased since U.S. aid began. Why does the US continually overlook the human rights situation in Colombia when distributing military aid? I would like ___ (member of Congress) to voice [his/her] concern over this policy during the hearing-- and when Colombia aid comes up for a vote, I'd like [him/her] to vote for a change, and prioritize social assistance instead of military aid."

Members of the IR Committee:

Arizona
Flake (R-AZ)

Arkansas
Boozman (R-AR)

California
Rohrabacher (R-CA)
Berman (D-CA)
Gallegly (R-CA)
Royce (R-CA)
Sherman (D-CA)
Issa (R-CA)
Lee (D-CA)
Watson (D-CA)
Schiff (D-CA)
Napolitano (D-CA)
Cardoza (D-CA)

Colorado
Tancredo (R-CO)

Florida
Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL)
Wexler (D-FL)
Harris (R-FL)
Mack (R-FL)

Illinois
Hyde (R-IL)
Weller (R-IL)

Indiana
Burton (R-IN)
Pence (R-IN)

Iowa
Leach (R-IA)

Kentucky
Chandler (D-KY)

Massachusetts
Delahunt (D-MA)

Michigan
McCotter (R-MI)

Minnesota
McCollum (D-MN)

Nebraska
Fortenberry (R-NE)

Nevada
Berkley (D-NV)

New Jersey
Menendez (D-NJ)
Chris Smith (R-NJ)
Payne (D-NJ)

New York
Ackerman (D-NY)
King (R-NY)
Engel (D-NY)
Meeks (D-NY)
Crowley (D-NY)

Ohio
Brown (D-OH)
Chabot (R-OH)

Oregon
Blumenauer (D-OR)

South Carolina
Barrett (R-SC)
Wilson (R-SC)

Texas
Paul (R-TX)
McCaul (R-TX)
Poe (R-TX)

Virginia
Davis (R-VA)

Washington
Smith (D-WA)

Wisconsin
Green (R-WI)