A group of more than 250 organizations, both Colombian and American, came together this Wednesday to send a letter to the US Congress, asking them to maintain the aid that has been given to the country and that is currently in the pipeline. limbo after the decision of the House of Representatives to exclude resources for Colombia from its budget for the year 2024.
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“As human rights organizations, victims, internally displaced persons, Afro-Colombians, indigenous, Raizal, palenqueros, unions, lawyers, labor, environmental, media, and other Colombian civil society organizations and international organizations committed to defending human rights human rights and peace, we are disappointed by the news that the United States House of Representatives has decided to defer aid to Colombia. We urge you to support the Senate’s provisions that do provide aid to support peacebuilding, improvement of human rights, Afro-Colombian and indigenous communities, and Venezuelan migrants and receiving communities,” say the organizations in the letter, obtained by this newspaper.
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A little over a month ago The lower house, controlled by the Republican party, approved its spending budget for next year without including resources for Colombia for the first time in more than 25 years. According to Mario Diaz-Balart, president of the Appropriations Committee that drafted the bill that excludes the aid, the decision was made because there are many doubts regarding the policies of President Gustavo Petro.
However, a few weeks later the Senate approved its own version of the budget which does include US$485 million in resources to invest in the country.
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According to the signatories, the Petro government, on the contrary, has expressed its commitment to consolidate the 2016 peace agreements and expand peace, is respectful of human rights and the rule of law, continues Colombia’s tradition of offering refuge to several million Venezuelan migrants and refugees, is committed to protect the rights of Afro-Colombian and indigenous peoples, women, and members of the LGBTQ community and is a leader and partner in efforts to address deforestation in the Amazon region and climate change.
“The United States -they say- should take this opportunity to continue and deepen cooperation (on these fronts). Cutting funding for Colombia in these areas goes directly against long-standing US bipartisan objectives in the country and the region.”
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According to the organizations, The US should also preserve cooperation with Colombia on more sustainable and effective drug control policies..
“In particular, taking advantage of falling coca prices, the United States and Colombia should redouble efforts to help low-income Colombian farmers switch to licit crops; expand efforts to formalize land titles, which that provides farmers with incentives to permanently engage in licit crops; and support Colombian efforts to interdict traffickers, attack money launderers, and investigate and prosecute corrupt links between political leaders and members of the security forces with drug traffickers and illegal armed groups,” they state in the letter.
Once the budget is approved by the plenary sessions of both chambers, it would conform a conciliation commission where the differences that currently exist regarding aid for Colombia will have to be negotiated. Something that should happen in the next few months.
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The letter is signed by 36 US-based organizations and more than 220 based in Colombia.
Among them (in alphabetical order), AfricanDefenders (Pan African Human Rights Defenders Network), Afro-Colombian Global Initiative, Amazon Watch, American Federation of Teachers, Colombia Peace Agreement NGO, Colombia Human Rights Committee, Colombia Human Rights Network, Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd, US Provinces, Darryl Chappell Foundation, Disciples Center for Public Witness (Disciples of Christ), FOR Peace Presence, Franciscan Action Network, Global Black, Global Ministries, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the United Church of Christ, Healing Bridges, Human Pictures, Immigrant Assistance Services Foundation, International Institute for Race & Equality, InterReligious Task Force on Central America and Colombia, Latin America Working Group (LAWG), Loretto Community Latin America/Caribbean Committee, Mano River Union Civil Society Natural Resources Rights and Governance Platform, Mennonite Central Committee US, Missionary Oblates/OIP Trust, National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd, National Council of Churches, Oxfam America Pax Christi USA, Presbyterian Church (USA), Presbyterian Peace Fellowship, Program for the Heritage of Ogiek and Mother Earth (PROHOME), United Church of Christ, Justice and Local Church Ministries, Washington Brazil Office, Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), and Witness for Peace Solidarity Collective.
SERGIO GOMEZ MASERI
EL TIEMPO correspondent
Washington
On Twitter @sergom68
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