This letter was proposed by Basil Elias and written by Pat Murphy on the basis of information received from The Community of San Jose Apartado web site. It goes to the President, Vice President, and Senate.

To: The President, The Vice President, Your Senators

Dear _________________:

Many of us wrote letters and emails to the United States Government to urge it not to go ahead with the ill-advised package of military aid to Colombia.

Already the kind of thing we feared is beginning to happen.

On July 8, only days after the package was approved, a brigade of the Colombian Army entered the Peace Community of La Union at San Jose Apartado, terrorized the people, murdered six men, destroyed the telephone system, burned the meeting building, then warned the people to leave or they would be attacked when the Army returned three weeks later.

La Union is a peace community, unarmed, of Colombians whose "crime" is to have announced they will stand apart from the civil war raging in the country, refusing to take sides.

American military aid, which should not have been approved in the first place, is contingent on there being no human rights abuses in Colombia.

The U.S. Government should immediately act to hold up on any funds or training until there is clear evidence this kind of atrocity will be stopped.

Sincerely yours

Your name and optional address

This letter was released on 07/13/2000.
Retire date is 08/15/2000.

Topics for this letter:
Civil Rights
Human Rights
Peace
International Politics
Domestic Politics