Good Work on Colombia!

Posted August 9, 2004
this alert is compiled with information from the Latin American Working Group

Your efforts have paid off; a letter to President Uribe expressing concern over human rights abuses in Colombia, which was organized by Representatives Chris Dodd and Russ Feingold, has been signed by twenty-one other Senate members, including John Kerry and John Edwards. The letter specifically addressed the human rights record of the Colombian military and the threats and attacks levied against union members and human rights workers in that country.

As pointed out in the Colombian newspaper, El Tiempo, it is particularly significant that Kerry and Edwards signed on, as "it is a window into the possible future of bilateral relations between the US and Colombia if the Kerry-Edwards ticket makes it to the presidency.  Although both have supported the government of Colombia in Senate votes, it is clear that the issue of human rights figures prominently in their agenda." This letter will serve as a precedent for Kerry and Edwards to do the right thing with regard to Colombia and support human rights there!

Furthermore, many of the senators who signed the letter have never spoken out about Colombia before.  Now is an excellent time to engage them, thank them for signing, and ask them to do more. If your senator is on the list below, please give them a call and say thanks-- and let them know that you want to see them take a stronger stance against US military assistance to Colombia in the future.  If your senator is not on the list, call and ask why.  You can reach your senators by calling the congressional switchboard at 202-224-3121, or find their address at www.senate.gov.  You can read a copy of the letter by going to www.lawg.org/docs/ColombiaUribe.pdf .

Signers to the Feingold-Dodd letter on Colombia :

Russ Feingold (WI) (deserves a special thanks for organizing the letter)
Chris Dodd (CT) (deserves a special thanks for organizing the letter)
Murray (WA)
Leahy (VT)
Durbin (IL)
Kennedy (MA)
Boxer (CA)
Kerry (MA)
Cantwell (WA)
Harkin (IA)
Jeffords (VT)
Bingaman (NM)
Mikulski (MD)
Lautenberg (NJ)
Kohl (WI)
Landrieu (LA)
Sarbanes (MD)
Levin (MI)
Reed (RI)
Feinstein (CA)
Corzine (NJ)
Dayton (MN)
Edwards (NC)

Senators will be back in their district or state offices for the August recess, and you can use this time to hold constituent meetings, media activities, vigils, or other efforts to raise awareness.  These types of activities are particularly important right now, because the House-Senate conference committee will probably meet in September to hammer out the final version of the 2005 defense authorization bill.  Members of this conference committee will determine how many US troops and US military contractors will be allowed in Colombia.

This fight is an important one, and progress such as this is a welcome sight, so thank you for your efforts. Together we will demand that Congress support a US policy toward Colombia that reflects our values of peace, justice, sustainable development, and respect for human rights.

ADELANTE!