WASHINGTON,
D.C. – U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) and key Congressional
leaders today called on Colombian President Andres Pastrana to ensure the
safety of civilians living in the zona de despeje. Schakowsky is
a longtime supporter of a peaceful solution to the civil war that has resulted
in the death of tens of thousands of innocent Colombians and an outspoken
critic of wasteful U.S. anti-drug policy in the region.
Below
is the bipartisan letter to President Pastrana organized by Schakowsky
and signed by U.S. Representatives James P. McGovern (D-MA), Barbara Lee
(D-CA), John Conyers (D-MI), William Delahunt (D-MA), Elijah Cummings (D-MD),
Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX), Lane Evans (D-IL), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI),
Cynthia McKinney (D-GA), Sam Farr (D-CA), James Leach (R-IA), and Robert
Wexler (D-FL).
January
14, 2002
Presidente
Andrés Pastrana Arango
República
de Colombia
Dear
President Pastrana:
We
urge you to take immediate steps to protect the civilian population in
the zona de despeje if there is no quick resumption of talks with the FARC-EP.
We
strongly recommend that a reliable, vetted unit of the Armed Forces be
specifically assigned, as its primary responsibility, the duty of protecting
residents of the former zone. Given the situation in the area, we
believe that simple assurances of protection of civilians will be insufficient.
In addition, such a move would give the Armed Forces the opportunity to
clearly demonstrate its commitment to protecting Colombian citizens from
attacks by illegal armed groups.
Approximately
90,000 Colombians live in the area, which covers five municipalities in
the departments of Meta and Caquetá. The decision to remain in the
Zone throughout these three years was often a difficult one. Some families
were at risk of attack, either from the FARC-EP or from the paramilitaries
who have long criticized the peace process. Human rights groups have
reported that some Colombians living in the Zone were killed by the FARC-EP
and others were threatened. Residents have also reported that they fear
that paramilitaries allied with the army would attack them as guerrilla
sympathizers if peace talks were suspended.
With
the rupture in negotiations, the residents of the Zone now risk being identified
as pro-guerrilla simply because they remained living in their homes, working
their farms, and running their businesses. Their decision to remain there
and contribute to peace in Colombia should not now be used against them.
Your commitment to peace is something that we have admired. While we are
dismayed at this bleak turn of events, we remain convinced that negotiation,
not war, is the only viable solution to Colombia’s problems. We understand
the difficulties you have faced in your efforts, we hope that your Administration
will act to prevent a broad military confrontation in the zone.
At
this critical moment, we call on you to ensure that any operation by the
security forces to retake the Zone include strict instructions to protect
the civilian population. Thank you for your attention to our concerns.
We look forward to your response. |