Urgent Action! Tell the Senate that Colombia Aid Must Be Debated!
Contact Your Senators Immediately to Help Change US Policy Toward Colombia

The US Senate is about to debate another massive aid package to Colombia for 2004— and like all of the past aid packages, most of this money will go to the Colombian military and police. Colombia is now the third largest recipient of US military aid in the world, after Israel and Egypt.

The US Senate could debate the 2004 foreign aid bill, which contains over $500 million in aid for Colombia, as early as the week of September 8th. However, they do not plan on debating the Colombia aid package. In fact, the US Senate hasn’t debated Colombia policy for two years—they have approved the money with no discussion. This is despite the fact that the goals for Colombia policy that Congress set out three years ago have not been met– and in many cases, things have gotten worse. We need your help immediately to ask the Senate why it is not talking about this policy, and then ask them to debate and change it.

A massive amount of money with a terrible impact. Our taxpayer dollars—over $600 million this year, and more next year if the Bush Administration prevails—go to fund counterinsurgency and counter-drug operations and to protect an oil pipeline in Colombia.

Funding the Colombian armed forces, who collaborate with brutal paramilitary groups, has accelerated the armed conflict in Colombia. In 2000, 12 civilians a day died violently in Colombia. That number rose to 19 a day this year, as paramilitaries, guerillas, and the Colombian military step up their side of the conflict and catch civilians in the crossfire.

Dropping herbicides on land owned by small farmers has killed some drug crops, but has taken food crops with it. Water sources are contaminated and people go hungry, especially because most do not receive alternative development assistance afterwards. Many move elsewhere and plant coca again.

Plan Colombia has not curbed drug abuse in the US, one of its main goals. According to the US Office of National Drug Control Policy, drugs are just as available on US streets now as they were three years ago.
The US House has had very strong debates on Colombia, and the votes get closer each year to cut military aid to Colombia’s brutal armed forces. With so much at stake, we need to tell the Senate to follow their lead, and debate and change this policy!

Action Needed! The Senate may debate the 2004 foreign aid bill as early as the week of September 8th, so action is needed immediately! Stop in to your senator’s state office and meet with a staff member, or organize a fax or call-in campaign, asking you senators to debate and change US policy toward Colombia when the foreign aid bill comes to the Senate floor. To find the phone number or fax number of your senators’ state or DC offices, please see www.senate.gov. A sample letter is available below which can be modified and faxed to your senators at their DC offices. Put any faxes to the attention of the foreign policy aide.