Author: Ana Pereya Barón
It’s happening. The Republican-led House subcommittee that oversees foreign aid made the unprecedented choice to cut ALL assistance to Colombia from the foreign aid bill. Yes, you read that right. On Thursday, July 27th, the House Western Hemisphere subcommittee is holding a one-sided hearing to blast the Petro Administration and justify the cut off of assistance to Colombia. But today we have a chance to fight back against this horrendous action!
Our human rights partners in Colombia support current policies to implement the historic 2016 peace accords and to advance peace negotiations with the ELN guerrillas. They know that only advancing peace can protect the Afro-Colombian, Indigenous and poor farmers who suffered so much during decades of brutal war. They call for international support and aid for peace. So do we.
Let’s be clear: we’ve never supported military aid to Colombia. We still don’t. But positive humanitarian aid for inclusive peace efforts and for implementing the 2016 peace accords, for Afro-Colombian and Indigenous communities, and for protecting human rights –we support.
What You Can Do!
Time is of the essence, so we need you to CALL or write your representative in Congress now, as early as today, tomorrow or Wednesday. Urge them to support aid to Colombia to implement the 2016 peace accords, support human rights, help small farmers sustainably move away from coca to food crops, and support Afro-Colombian and Indigenous organizations and communities. Click now to send your message to your member of Congress and urge them to support aid to Colombia!
We are asking you to call your member of Congress and urge them to support aid to Colombia! Here is a sample script:
“My name is [YOUR NAME], and I’m a constituent from [YOUR CITY OR AREA]. I am calling to urge [REPRESENTATIVE X] to support humanitarian aid to Colombia. Positive nonmilitary US aid supports the implementation of the 2016 peace accords, helps small farmers sustainably move away from coca, and empowers women, Afro-Colombian and Indigenous communities and poor farmers who suffered from the 50-year-old armed conflict. You have a chance to make a difference in the lives of millions of Colombians. I hope you will consider my request, and thank you for your time.”
It is especially important if your representative is on the House Foreign Affairs Committee below, but please contact your member of Congress in any case! If we want the United States to support peace in Colombia, we need each and every one of us to speak up.
In order to be champions of just policies at home and abroad, we must ask our Congress to support peace in Colombia NOW. Have your voice heard in Congress TODAY!
In solidarity,
Ana from the LAWG Team — Ana, Vicki, Lisa, Tania, and Yadira
Discussion about this post