Stopping Another Decade of Plan Colombia

FOR - Task Force on Latin America and the Carribean

Stopping Another Decade of Plan Colombia

HELP CONGRESS STOP THE U.S.-COLOMBIA MILITARY BASES DEAL

Contact your Representative NOW to urge them to tell President Obama that U.S. operations on military bases in Colombia will "deepen the failures of Plan Colombia."

Members of Congress must act by the end of Thursday to sign the 'Dear Colleague' letter initiated by Representatives Tammy Baldwin, Jim McGovern, and Raul Grijalva. (1)

This is the first Congressional initiative about the military bases in Colombia that offers a chance for grassroots mobilization. But time is short -- Pentagon brass say they hope the bases deal will be signed this month. And the Congressional letter is only open through tomorrow, Thursday 5pm Eastern.

Over the August recess, the Democratic-led House was silent on the problem -- until now. And now it is urgent that the White House hear clearly and loudly from Capitol Hill that the military bases in Colombia are the wrong move, if we want dialogue with our southern neighbors, not fear, militarization, and the reinforcement of impunity for military crimes against innocent civilians.

Urge your Representative to speak against this continued arming of the Colombian military and of the United States in South America.

Thanks from the FOR Colombia Program Team!

For more information, contact us:

Fellowship of Reconciliation Colombia Program

436 14th St. #409, Oakland, CA 94612

Tel: 510-763-1403

Web: http://www.forcolombia.org

(1) For the text of the Dear Colleague letter, click here.

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February 10, 2010

Subject:

Dear Member of Congress,

I strongly urge you to sign on to the Dear Colleague letter on U.S. military's use of military bases in Colombia, circulated by Rep. Tammy Baldwin, and to ask the State Department to disclose the text of the Defense Cooperation Agreement with Colombia, before it is signed, to ensure proper consideration of its policy implications. These bases invest in military responses when we should be supporting diplomatic and humanitarian solutions, in Colombia and in the whole region. The agreement has generated a firestorm of controversy throughout South America, where it is perceived as a return to U.S intervention. The broad and vague missions stated for U.S. operations on the Colombia bases, in the context of increasing regional tensions, contribute to further polarization and a destructive arms race. The 10-year agreement sends a message that U.S. support for the Colombian military and government is unconditional, in spite of more than 1,700 civilian killings reportedly committed by the Army under investigation by the Colombia Attorney General's Office, and more recent revelations that the presidential intelligence agency wiretapped senators, Supreme Court justices, journalists, and opponents of re-election, even after the scandal of this wiretapping broke earlier this year. Former OAS Secretary General Cesar Gaviria called the current Colombian government a "dictatorship." This is not a government with whom the United States should make such a military commitment for collaboration and infrastructure. To sign on to the Dear Colleague letter, please contact staffer Amber Shipley of Representative Baldwin's office, at 225-2906, BY 5 P.M. ON THURSDAY, when the letter closes. I will appreciate your keeping me informed about your response to this issue. Sincerely,
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Please note new office address for FOR Task Force on Latin America:
Fellowship of Reconciliation • P.O. Box 72492, Oakland CA 94612 • Tel: 510-763-1403 Fax: 510-763-1409 • Web: http://www.forcolombia.org