Urgent Action! House to Debate Colombia Military Aid

Posted July 20, 2003

Unexpectedly, the House has scheduled the debate on the 2004 foreign aid bill - which contains $600 million in mostly-military aid for Colombia - for next week, the week of July 21. We're not sure exactly when the vote will take place, but we do know that an amendment will probably be offered to cut or reduce military aid to Colombia. The last vote in the House to cut Colombia military aid lost by only seven votes - we are very close! Without your help, though, this amendment could lose.

BACKGROUND

More trade unionists are killed in Colombia than all other countries combined. In fact, 85% of trade unionists killed in 2002 (184 out of 213) were Colombians. Colombian trade unions are calling for U.S. citizens to take action to stop this on-going massacre of Colombian workers.

Colombia is the most dangerous country in the world to be a trade unionist. Since 1985 4,000 trade unionists have been murdered. The majority of these deaths are attributed to paramilitary forces many of whom are linked to the Colombian military. Yet the U.S. is spending hundreds of millions of dollars each year to support the Colombian military while virtually no one has been brought to justice for these murders. In 2003, $500 million of the $605 million of U.S. foreign aid for Colombia was direct to military funding. Now the Bush Administration is asking to increase military aid for Colombia to $530 million in 2004 on top of the $105 million in "emergency" military aid already approved by Congress in April 2003.

The Colombian trade union movement says that changing U.S. foreign policy is the most important step the U.S. can take to stop the killing of Colombian trade unionists!

Colombian trade unionists ask for the U.S. to re-direct foreign aid to support civil society, the rule of law, and economic development instead of funding the Colombian military. The increase in U.S. military aid to Colombia began under the Clinton Administration when Congress approved Plan Colombia in 2000. Plan Colombia was presented as an effort to fight the drug war and promote democracy but instead it has increasingly been directed at the country's internal conflict, supporting the government's fight against guerillas. This past year $90 million of Plan Colombia aid went to help the Colombian army guard an oil pipeline that is partially owned by U.S. based Occidental Petroleum.

The 2004 foreign aid bill contains almost $600 million in aid to Colombia, the vast majority of which is military aid. Starting last year, military aid to Colombia can be used for both counter-drug efforts-- mostly the aerial fumigation of drug crops-- and counterinsurgency. Because the foreign aid bill must be debated and passed each year, there have been a number of amendments to the bill since 2000 that would have cut a portion of the military aid to Colombia-- and the votes have gotten closer each year.

The most recent vote on Colombia was offered this April, when President Bush included $105 million in additional military aid for Colombia in the Iraq war supplemental bill. That amendment, which would have cut out most of the Colombia aid, lost by only 7 votes. To see how your representative voted on the amendment, see <http://clerkweb.house.gov/cgi-bin/vote.exe?year=2003&rollnumber=106>. If they are in the "aye" category, they supported cutting military aid to Colombia. If they voted well, remind them of that when you call!

TAKE ACTION!

The military funding request for 2004 of $530 will be voted on NEXT WEEK! The U.S. House of Representatives is expected to consider another amendment to stop military aid increases to Colombia.

Please call your representative and ask him or her to support any amendment to the 2004 foreign aid bill that would cut or limit military aid to Colombia. Please contact your representative BEFORE JULY 22.

TO FIND YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS' PHONE NUMBERS:

Go to: http://www.congress.org

BE SURE TO SEARCH WITH YOUR ZIP+4 TO FIND THE CORRECT REP! Click "INFO" under the Rep's picture to find email, phone numbers for their WASHINGTON OFFICE, voting record, and more!

You can also reach your representative by phone by calling the US Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121.

TIPS ON CALLING

For tips on making a phone call on this vote, please see http://www.lawg.org/colphone703.htm. If you can't make your call until this weekend and need to leave a message, these tips will show you how to do that.

When calling, ask for the foreign policy aide and if your member voted right in April, thank him/her for his/her vote and encourage him/her to vote the right way for the next vote against more military aid for Colombia. If your member did not vote right in April, urge him/her to reconsider, stating that (1) the US should not support the Colombian military who continues to collaborate with paramilitaries which target Colombian trade unionists, and (2) Colombian trade unionists are calling for a cut in military funding with a redistribution of aid to social and economic programs.

See what you can learn about his/her current position and pass it on to CLR when you let is know about the action you took. Email organize@clrlabor.org with Subject: Colombia Aid.

SAMPLE LETTER

While a phone call generally has more impact on the Representative, a hand written, faxed, or email letter still gets you message across to your elected official.

The Honorable__________
US House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Representative _______________,

As a constituent concerned about US military aid to Colombia, I urge you to support any amendment to the 2004 foreign aid bill that will cut or reduce Colombia's military aid.

More trade unionists are killed in Colombia than all other countries combined. In fact, 85% of trade unionists killed in 2002 (184 out of 213) were Colombians.

Colombia is the most dangerous country in the world to be a trade unionist. Since 1985 4,000 trade unionists have been murdered. The majority of these deaths are attributed to paramilitary forces many of whom are linked to the Colombian military. Yet the U.S. is spending hundreds of millions of dollars each year to support the Colombian military while virtually no one has been brought to justice for these murders. In 2003, $500 million of the $605 million of U.S. foreign aid for Colombia was direct to military funding. Now the Bush Administration is asking to increase military aid for Colombia to $530 million in 2004 on top of the $105 million in "emergency" mlitary aid already approved by Congress in April 2003.

I urge the U.S. to re-direct foreign aid to support civil society, the rule of law, and economic development instead of funding the Colombian military. Plan Colombia, which began under the Clinton Administration in 2000, was presented as an effort to fight the drug war and promote democracy but instead it has increasingly been directed at the country's internal conflict, supporting the government's fight against guerillas. This past year $90 million of Plan Colombia aid went to help the Colombian army guard an oil pipeline that is partially owned by U.S. based Occidental Petroleum.

The 2004 foreign aid bill contains almost $600 million in aid to Colombia, the vast majority of which is military aid. Starting last year, military aid to Colombia can be used for both counter-drug efforts-- mostly the aerial fumigation of drug crops-- and counterinsurgency. The US should not support the Colombian military who continues to collaborate with paramilitaries which target Colombian trade unionists. I urge you to support any amendment to the 2004 foreign aid bill that will cut or reduce Colombia?s military aid.

Sincerely,
[Name and address]

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