AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
Thursday, 16 September 1999
Amnesty International Report Shows Collusion
Between Colombian Army, Paramilitary Forces
WASHINGTON, Sept. 16 /U.S. Newswire/ -- With an Administration
request of up to one billion dollars for anti-drug efforts for
Andean nations, human rights leaders in Congress have distributed
an Amnesty International report providing indisputable evidence
of the link between the Colombian Army and murderous paramilitary
forces. The looming aid package earmarks significant resources
for the Colombian Army.
The report, "Barrancabermeja: A city under siege,"
focuses on a May 16, 1998 massacre, subsequent killings, and
"disappearances" by the paramilitaries in that strategic
oil port. The report exposes the atrocities that paramilitary
forces carried out, outlines their strategy, and highlights the
Army's complicity in the attacks. Reps. Tom Lantos (D-Calif.)
and John Porter (R-Ill.), co-chairs of the Congressional Human
Rights Caucus, jointly distributed the Amnesty International
report to the entire House and Senate.
"This report exposes the unavoidable -- and tragic --
reality that helping the Colombian Army will inevitably help
the paramilitary forces," said Carlos Salinas, Advocacy
Director for Latin America and the Caribbean at Amnesty International
USA. "Our report documents the link between the paramilitary
forces and the Colombian Army, and should serve as a warning
to the United States government that it should not fund a military
involved in killing its own citizens. In short, the United States
government should remove itself from death-squad politics."
For a complete copy of the report, please go to
http://www.amnestyusa.org/countries/colombia or call Amnesty
International USA, at 202-544-0200.
