> ------------------------- > Via Workers World News Service > Reprinted from the July 6, 2000 > issue of Workers World newspaper > ------------------------- > > AFTER U.S SENATE VOTE: > COLOMBIAN REVOLUTIONARIES VOW TO > CONFRONT AGGRESSION > > By Andy McInerney > > The U.S. Senate took a giant step toward all-out war in > Colombia on June 21. > > The Senate voted 94 to five for a billion-dollar package > of military aid for the Colombian government. The package > is part of a much bigger $7.5 billion "Plan Colombia" that > is being orchestrated by the U.S. government. > > The reaction from Colombia was swift and defiant. "If the > people of Colombia are threatened, we will confront the > aggression," warned Simon Trinidad, spokesperson for the > Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People's Army (FARC- > EP). > > "The Plan Colombia will raise more Manuel Marulandas," > Trinidad said. Manuel Marulanda, popularly known as > "Tirofijo"--Sureshot--is the legendary leader of the FARC- > EP. > > The Colombian Communist Party issued a June 23 statement > opposing the aid. "The approval of the Plan Colombia by the > United States Congress shows that a new chapter of military > intervention in Colombia is unfolding," the CCP's Executive > Committee wrote. The party called for a national > mobilization against the Plan Colombia. > > Before the Senate vote, 60 Colombian labor, human-rights > and community groups signed a declaration to the > international community opposing the Plan Colombia. "We > reject the Plan Colombia because it uses an authoritarian > concept of national security exclusively based on a > strategy against narcotics," the statement explained. > > "It will lead to the escalation of the social and armed > conflict. It fails to provide real solutions to drug > trafficking. It attacks the Indigenous populations by > destroying their culture and way of life." > > U.S. war package > > The $932 million approved by the Senate is primarily > designed to bolster the Colombian armed forces. The package > now needs to be reconciled with the $1.7 billion package > approved by the House of Representatives. > > The final package--attached to a bigger appropriations > package whose passage is all but assured--is expected to > total at least $1.3 billion. > > The centerpiece is an armada of 60 combat helicopters. The > House package includes 30 Huey II attack helicopters and 30 > advanced Blackhawk helicopters; the Senate package provides > 60 Hueys. > > The package also provides funds for training three elite > counter-insurgency battalions, expanding the number of > Special Forces "advisers" beyond the 200-300 that the > Pentagon admits are already there. These battalions are > supposed to lead a "push into the south," referring to the > FARC-EP's stronghold. > > The Plan Colombia is marketed in the United States as part > of the "war on drugs." But any analysis of the aid package > and the current situation in Colombia reveals that this is > for public consumption only. > > The package is actually aimed at Colombia's powerful > insurgencies, the FARC-EP and the National Liberation Army > (ELN). > > Military aid has skyrocketed from around $50 million in > 1998 to over $1 billion--a 20-fold increase in just two > years. Colombia is now the third biggest recipient of U.S. > military aid in the world. > > Study after study shows that drug traffickers in Colombia > maintain close connections to both the Colombian Armed > Forces and the political elite there. They have no > independent armed forces. > > Ruling-class crisis deepens > > The massive aid package is designed to prop up Colombia's > weak and notoriously corrupt ruling class. This regime is > currently facing depression-level economic conditions as > well as an unprecedented political and military challenge > from both the armed insurgencies and the mass movement. > > Unemployment in Colombia is officially over 20 percent; in > many areas it is over 50 percent. The Colombian peso has > lost over half its value against the dollar in the last > year alone. > > After a string of military defeats at the hands of the > insurgencies, the government of President Andres Pastrana > has been forced to the table for talks with the FARC-EP. > For the last 18 months, Pastrana has ceded a five- > municipality "demilitarized zone" to the FARC-EP so that > talks can be carried out. > > The talks have featured a series of "Public Audiences," in > which Colombians from around the country can travel to the > zone and make proposals for how they would address the > problems facing Colombia. These meetings have often become > popular speak-outs against the government's economic > policies that capitulate to the demands of the > International Monetary Fund. > > In the past two years, unions have led a series of general > strikes against Pastrana's economic policies. Peasants have > staged blockades of highways. In June, residents of the > Chocą province staged a general strike to protest the > government's neglect of the region. > > Few believe that the Plan Colombia can resolve this deep > crisis. "The U.S. aid is going to trigger a total crisis > and stimulate the war," political analyst Alejo Vargas told > USA Today on June 23. > > The package does signal a new level of struggle--a sign > that U.S. imperialism will not stand by quietly while its > representatives in Bogota are in trouble. Now U.S. > diplomats are twisting arms in Europe to approve more aid > at a high-level ministerial meeting in Spain in July. > > As opposition to the aid mounts in Colombia, Colombians > will surely be looking to the progressive movement in the > United States for allies and for solidarity. > > - END - > > (Copyleft Workers World Service. Everyone is permitted to > copy and distribute verbatim copies of this document, but > changing it is not allowed. For more information contact > Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011; via e-mail: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] For subscription info send message > to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Web: http://www.workers.org) --- from list [EMAIL PROTECTED] ---
