Pubdate: Wed, 06 Jul 2005
Source: Chapel Hill News (NC)
Copyright: 2005 Chapel Hill News
Contact:  http://www.chapelhillnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1081
Author: Noreen Ordronneau
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topics/Plan+Colombia (Plan Colombia)

PLAN FOR COLOMBIA HAS NOT WORKED

Plan Colombia is a failure. It is time to cut military aid and support a 
plan for peace, not war. Despite pouring over $3 billion into Colombia's 
military since Congress passed Plan Colombia in 2000, the United States has 
failed to reduce the availability of illegal drugs on U.S. streets and help 
Colombia move toward an end to its embittered 40-year-old conflict.

Plan Colombia is set to expire in 2005. Yet the Bush administration wants 
to continue with the same levels of funding and to renew failed strategies. 
This is a waste of taxpayer dollars in a deficit crisis. More than 80 
percent of Plan Colombia funding is military and police aid in the form of 
cash, armaments, combat helicopters, fumigation equipment and chemicals, 
U.S. military personnel and training of Colombian forces.

Current U.S. policy in Colombia undermines food security, causes human 
health and environmental damage, aggravates displacement of over a million 
people and worsens the human rights situation.

Tell your members of Congress that you want to support peace in Colombia, 
not war. Urge them to vote no on the $742 million more in military aid in 
the current 2006 budget.

Ask them to support a negotiated end to the conflict, treatment for drug 
addicts here in the United States and funds for economic development.

- -- Noreen Ordronneau, Carrboro
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom