SAMPLE LETTER TO THE US HOUSE AND SENATE ON COLOMBIA

Date

The Honorable (Representative's full name)
United States House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515 

 OR 

The Honorable (Senator's full name)
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Representative (full name) 
OR
Dear Senator (full name):

I am writing to express strong concern about current U.S. policy toward Colombia, South America. 
It is important for the United States to promote human rights and responsible environmental
policies in our foreign policy; unfortunately, in Colombia, we seem to be doing the opposite.
I encourage you to make efforts to change this destructive and ineffectivepolicy.
Please note the following points:

Human Rights: The Colombian military, which is receiving most of the U.S. aid, is widely
documented as one of the most abusive militaries in all of the Americas. Paramilitary forces
(with strong links to the Colombian military) are responsible for the large majority of human
rights abuses. September 10, 2001 the paramilitaries were categorized by the U.S. government
as a "terrorist" group, yet the US continues to aid the Colombia military, and the Colombia
military continues its ties to the paramilitaries. This year, thousands of innocent Colombians
will be killed by the paramilitaries and other illegal armed actors.

Displacement: The conflict has already created a humanitarian crisis of staggering proportions.
At least two million people have already lost their homes and livelihoods. Relief agencies
estimate that thousands could be displaced as a direct result of the U.S. military aid package.

Fumigation: Plan Colombia is also causing ecological destruction in the Amazon basin. 
The herbicide glyphosate (known in the U.S. as Roundup) is being widely used to eradicate opium
poppy and coca plants with untested additives and "surfactants" such as CosmoFlux. This year,
tens of thousands of gallons of toxic herbicides will be sprayed on coca plants, family farms,
bean fields, banana plantations, community wells, and the Amazon rainforest. This has disastrous
effects on Amazon bio-diversity and legal crops. In addition to affecting the livelihood of
legal farmers and leading innocent families to starvation, there is evidence that glyphosate is
makingpeople and animals sick. And fumigation does not stop production of coca; it merely moves
it to another area. 

Adding fuel to the fire: Colombia has been fighting a brutal civil war for over 4 decades.
Military aid will escalate rather than diminish the conflict. The Colombian conflict has a
complicated history and real progress has been made in the past through negotiation. Adding
arms to a complicated and dangerous situation will only increase the problems.

Terrorism: There are three armed actors in Colombia that have been designated as 
"terrorists" by the U.S. government. These groups are in the midst of a brutal civil war.
Of the three groups, the paramilitaries are responsible for significantly more violent human 
rights abuses, including the murder and massacre of unarmed civilians. Furthermore, the
paramilitaries have strong, documented links to the Colombian military, who we are currently
supplying with aid. This aid is not in our best interest!

Drug abuse: U.S. military aid to Colombia will not help the U.S. war on drugs. A 1994 RAND 
Corporation study found that it was 23 times more cost effective to fund treatment programs in
the U.S. than coca crop eradication in other countries. U.S. aid to Colombia has not and will
not decrease the amount of cocaine sent to the U.S. or consumed by our citizens. Rather than 
supporting war, we should be supporting strategic and constructive plans to build Peace
Colombia. Our resources could go a long way for sustainable development, judiciary reform,
and peace building in Colombia, not to mention drug prevention and treatment in the U.S.

Please keep in mind these fundamental points in making your votes this year.

1. NO MORE MILITARY AID
2. NO MORE FUNDING FOR FUMIGATION
3. YES TO DOMESTIC DRUG TREATMENT/PREVENTION

Thank you very much for your time. I look forward to hearing from you and staying abreast
of your votes in this area.

Sincerely,

Name
Address