Straw backs Colombia's Pastrana
Dan Brett | 16.01.2002 13:52
Today I received a letter from Jack Straw (well, one penned by a bureaucrat, no doubt) which displayed a complete disregard for the evidence that President Pastrana is, in fact, supporting paramilitary terrorism with Western support.
Here are some extracts:
- Plan Colombia is the Colombian government's programme to tackle Colombia's interconnected problems of violence, social and economic inequality, abuse of human rights and drugs cultivation and trafficking.
- Neither we nor the EU have made a contribution to the Plan. The UK is contributing to a separate EU package of assistance to Colombia worth eur330 million over the period 2001-06. The package focuses on measures that support human rights, long-term economic and social development and an end to violence.
- The US administration has publicly stated on numerous occasions that the US supports the Colombian peace process and that it abhors the activities of the paramilitary groups. The US designated the main Colombian paramilitary organisation, the United Defence Forces of Colombia (AUC), as a terrorist organisation in Septemer last year.
- The Treasury has demanded that financial institutions freeze the assets of the AUC.
- The Colombian government has assured us that they are committed to tackling paramilitary groups. Some progress is being made.
- Central to our policy on Colombia is our support for the promotion and protection of human rights and the peace process instigated by President Pastrana.
- Plan Colombia is the Colombian government's programme to tackle Colombia's interconnected problems of violence, social and economic inequality, abuse of human rights and drugs cultivation and trafficking.
- Neither we nor the EU have made a contribution to the Plan. The UK is contributing to a separate EU package of assistance to Colombia worth eur330 million over the period 2001-06. The package focuses on measures that support human rights, long-term economic and social development and an end to violence.
- The US administration has publicly stated on numerous occasions that the US supports the Colombian peace process and that it abhors the activities of the paramilitary groups. The US designated the main Colombian paramilitary organisation, the United Defence Forces of Colombia (AUC), as a terrorist organisation in Septemer last year.
- The Treasury has demanded that financial institutions freeze the assets of the AUC.
- The Colombian government has assured us that they are committed to tackling paramilitary groups. Some progress is being made.
- Central to our policy on Colombia is our support for the promotion and protection of human rights and the peace process instigated by President Pastrana.
Dan Brett
e-mail:
dan@danielbrett.co.uk