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Call
your Representative NOW to say no to US Presence at Colombia Bases....
Throughout July and August
news has circulated in Colombia and the U.S. about a deal between the United
States and Colombia that would permit the United States military to use between
2 and 7 Colombian military bases.
Nevertheless the United States government has yet to openly discuss any
of the issues related to this possible agreement, and leaves many questions
unanswered as to how these bases may be used.
At the same time, Colombia’s neighboring Latin American countries have
expressed serious concern regarding these potential bases, even calling a
meeting for the heads of state, UNASUR, to discuss the issue.
An increase
in U.S. military presence represents continued support for the Colombian
military despite its ongoing, well-documented violations of human rights. In
other words, it will deepen the already entrenched failures of Plan
Colombia. The U.S. must start to focus
on humanitarian and social aid rather than continuing with failed military
strategies.
Currently,
by Rep. Tammy Baldwin is circulating a Dear Colleague letter in Congress asking
for caution in the plans to use Colombian bases given the history of human
rights violations. Please Call your representative NOW to ask him
or her to sign onto the letter; the cut off date for signing on is Thursday,
September 10, 2009. For more information and to see the Dear Colleague letter,
see http://www.forcolombia.org/Sept09-Dear-Colleague
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