Another break in, a Presidential break out and perhaps a small break through in the halls of Congress

Another NGO has been robbed. Again, it seems to have been a targeted break-in, to obtain information on non-violent peace movements in Colombia. From the JustaPaz action alert:

The Christian Center for Justice, Peace and Nonviolent Action, Justapaz, which is a program of the Mennonite Church of Colombia, reports that before dawn on the 14th of June, 2007, its office was broken into and two computers were stolen. These computers contained sensitive information on people and churches that are active in work for peace and human dignity, and on people from churches that are victims and witnesses to human rights violations. The perpetrators of this criminal act apparently entered through the roof in the rear of the building before 3 am and tore out the wiring of the alarm system, although the alarm went off. They passed by 9 other computers, telephones, a safe, etc., and removed two specific computers located at the other end of the office. They also broke into the desk of the coordinator for a program for protection of persons at risk.

Here is a link to the JustaPaz website where you can find more info and participate in the action alert. If you haven’t yet sent letters to your congressfolks, the US Embassy in Colombia and Colombian officials about the FOR robbery, I encourage you to address both break-ins at the same time. Find a list of contacts here. This is a disturbing new trend and makes the already targeted work of human rights organizations and the Colombia communities we work with more precarious and vulnerable.

The follow up to the robbery of the FOR office/apartment in Bogotá has kept my teammates there super busy doing interviews with radio and TV stations, meeting with Colombian and International NGOs, meeting with Colombian Senators and Foreign Embassies and Colombian government officials. Back home our San Francisco office has met with Congress and some concerned members have written a letter to President Uribe expressing their full backing of an investigation into the robbery and their belief that more protection should be extended to human rights organizations working in Colombia. The subject of the FOR break-in was also broached in person when Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY) had some face time with the Colombian President. Here in La Unión, we have felt very far away and a bit helpless or maybe hapless from up here. Knowing that sensitive information is now in the hands of someone who forcefully sought it out is unnerving. It has most definitely affected the community’s security but we don’t yet have a full understanding of to what degree. It’s as though the breath that we are usually holding, waiting for something terrible to happen was inhaled once again and this time with a bigger gulp of air.

Speaking of “wait and see”, the entire country seems to still be quite befuddled at President Uribe’s decision to release over 200 FARC prisoners. The news weekly, Semana laid out four possible reasons for the baffling move by the second-term President:

1. As the government contends, it is a bold strategy to negotiate peace: This is quickly overridden by well-warranted suspicion that this ex-incarceration is only a herald of plans to release convicted paramilitary leaders as well as congressmen ensnared in the para-politico scandal from the punitive judgment awaiting them.

2. Unblock the option for humanitarian exchange of kidnapped FARC prisoners: the release of Rodrigo Granda, the FARC member of highest rank who had been imprisoned, seems to signal that Uribe hopes to use his release and that of other FARC prisoners as a bargaining chip for the kidnap victims held by the FARC. The FARC has said it will not negotiate with the government until it is seeded a demilitarized zone and has repeatedly called Uribe’s government illegitimate and thus unworthy of entering into negotiations with.

3) To turn public opinion against the FARC: This seems to be likely but not very effective as the FARC is listed as a terrorist organization in the US and in Europe – and has held 3 US contractors hostage for the past three years. Public opinion has not exactly been on the side of the FARC and it has not affected their strategy in the least. However, some foreign governments, specifically France, have seemed to put more blame on the Colombian government than on the guerrilla group for the absence of a humanitarian accord to release kidnap victims.

4) Looking Towards Europe: The stuttering in Washington over aid to Colombia and the Free Trade Agreement have been received here as a sign of the faltering relationship between the US and Colombia. This prisoner release could be a grand gesture for the benefit of the new administration in France, as the new President Sarzkozy has made the release of former Colombian Presidential candidate and dual Colombian-French citizen Ingrid Betancourt, a priority of his government.


Semana concludes that none of these reasons are satisfactory or completely explain the prisoner release. The magazine says that it all seems to be simply a grand distraction to direct the country’s attention away from the para-political scandal that continues to unfold and involve many Uribe supporters. Only time will tell what becomes of this bizarre and unexpected move by the President. (To your right, a photo catching me not in my most non-violent moment, but instead slap fighting with one of my little brothers in the community. In the end we hugged it out. But I totally won)

Amidst this talk, news has arrived from back home that, surprise!, almost half of US military aid to Colombia is going directly to US Contractors. The AP article states: “U.S. defense contractors are receiving nearly half the money allotted by Washington to fight cocaine trafficking and leftist rebels in Colombia, throwing into doubt their mission to train Colombians to replace them. “ The State Department report shows that nearly $300 million of the roughly $630 earmarked for military aid is going to US contractors with Dyncorps International Inc, leading the way with $164 million for piloting the armed crop dusters seeking to eradicate coca production. Read more here.

More news from the land of the free indicates that the Foreign Affairs subcommittee of the House (the very same subcommittee I bemoaned in this here web space back in April) has decided to shift money away from Plan Colombia military aid and towards humanitarian aid. The house bill now contains a 55%-45% military-humanitarian aid split. Once taking into account the extra $150 million that goes to Colombian military aid out of the Defense Budget appropriations, that scores: Military Aid 65%, Humanitarian Aid 35%. Last year, also taking into account both the Foreign Ops and Defense appropriations, the military percentage was up at 83% and this year the administration requested 81% military aid. This seems a good time to reference the title of my blog. This is, I guess, some form of justice, limping very, very, very slowly. I remain skeptical and hesitate to call this piddling offering any kind of victory for human rights in Colombia.

For those of you back in the states, keep your ear to the ground as this legislation under the Foreign Aid Bill is set to hit the floor as early as today. Call or email your Representative and urge them to keep the 55-45 split intact. Republican Representatives are already rumored to be preparing a counter-amendment to rectify the perceived “imbalance”. In fact, my old pal, Dan Burton (R-IN), ranking republican of the Foreign Affairs subcommittee is at the front of the line, probably planning on introducing just such an amendment.