News coverage of the war in Iraq overshadows news of the civil war that continues in Colombia. But the Bush Administration has not forgotten the country that is the third largest recipient of foreign aid after Israel and Egypt; in the $75 billion request to fund the war in Iraq, Bush has asked for $104 million in additional money for the Colombian armed forces.

We need to act quickly to oppose this additional funding. The legacy of human rights abuses continues despite SOA claims to the contrary. While parts of the curriculum may have changed, the lessons learned at the SOA have not. With 10,000 soldiers trained at the SOA, Colombia provides a chilling example of the effects of SOA violence. Please take a moment to read the alert below and contact your Members of Congress today.

Action Needed Now on Colombia Military Aid! Calls to All Congressional Offices!

Bush Proposes $104 Million MORE for Colombian Military as part of Iraq Package

This bill could go to the floor as early as Thursday and Friday of this week — Calls and Faxes Needed To All House and Senate Members Today and Tomorrow!

BACKGROUND: In his $75 billion request for Iraq funding, President Bush has included $104 million in additional money for the Colombian armed forces--this is on top of the over $500 million they have received for this year already! Part of this money will go to protect an oil pipeline in Colombia owned in part by Los Angeles-based Occidental Petroleum, and part will be used for stepped-up fumigation efforts. The Colombia aid is being snuck in at a moment when all eyes are focused on the war, and we need to work quickly to oppose it.

ACTION: The bill may go to the floor as early as Thursday, April 3. There may be an amendment offered to cut the Colombia aid out of the package, but we are not sure yet if the amendment will be allowed.

Therefore, we need phone calls and letters today and tomorrow to your members of Congress with the following message: Support any amendment to the Iraq supplemental that cuts out Colombia aid, and speak on the floor in opposition to the inclusion of this aid in the Iraq package. Especially at this moment, when our resources are stretched so thin, more Colombia aid does not make sense-- and it could have terrible human rights implications for Colombian civilians.

Call the Congressional Switchboard at 202-224-3121 and ask to be connected with your member's office. You can then ask to speak with the foreign policy aide, and voice your concerns to him or her. If you don't know who your representative is, please see www.house.gov/writerep.

APRIL 10 - 14, 2003: Come to Washington, DC
NATIONAL MOBILIZATION AGAINST MILITARY AND ECONOMIC INTERVENTION IN LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN

Our resistance is as global as their war! From Baghdad to Bogotá, people are dying as a result of policies that prioritize military force over diplomatic efforts and peace talks. The U.S. government asserts its regional domination and guarantees its own economic interests by providing military aid and training to repressive governments through training schools like the School of the Americas/ WHISC, and holding back the development of alternatives to corporate globalization. Billions are being spent for bombs while a humanitarian crisis worsens. What about billions for bread? What about billions for books? We must stand in solidarity with our sisters and brothers throughout the Americas, who are at the forefront of opposition to these policies and are creating alternatives that place human and ecological values above corporate profit and greed.

Join the Latin America Solidarity Coalition in Washington, DC to say:

No to "Free Trade"/Free Market Plans No US Military intervention, aid and training Close US military bases throughout Latin America and the Caribbean Respect indigenous treaty, land, and cultural rights End the Drug War's assault on people of color and the poor Amnesty Now! Stop the Attacks against Immigrants No to U.S. political intervention in Latin America