Home | Industry | Agriculture
News From USW: On November 16, 2007, three members of Congress key to the issue of trade sent a letter to Colombian President Alvaro Uribe on matters of important concern raised by the USW. Congressional Representatives Micheal Michaud, Dale Kildee and Raul M. Grijalva wrote of their concern for the life of Senator Gustavo Petro, a leading opposition legislator in Colombia, who was on Capitol Hill in October of this year to talk to members of Congress about his concern with the proposed Free Trade Agreement (“FTA”) with Colombia. Senator Petro talked to numerous Representatives and Senators about his concern that the agricultural provisions of the proposed FTA would further entrench the power of drug lords who have, in recent years, chosen to launder their money through the purchase of large tracts of land. Colombia’s Interior Minister referred to Senator Petro’s Hill visit in October as “unpardonable.” In their letter to President Uribe, Congressmen Michaud, Kildee & Grijalva explained that such a statement “could foreseeably subject Senator Petro to violent retaliation by armed groups in Colombia,” and that, “[s]ure enough, upon Senator Petro’s return, he was the subject of serious written threats by the Black Eagles, a reconstituted section of the AUC” paramilitaries. Writing to President Uribe, these three Congressmen stated: “we call upon the Colombian government to take all efforts to protect the life of Senator Gustavo Petro. This matter is of particular concern to us in light of the fact that we wish anyone who seeks to share his or her views with the United States Congress about important public matters should be able to do so freely and without fear of retaliation.” As reported by the Washington Post over this past weekend in an article entitled, “Colombia’s Uribe Seen as Solidifying Power,” President Uribe has actually stepped up his verbal attacks against the political opposition in Colombia represented by the Democratic Pole, a party of which Senator Petro is a member, by claiming, without any justification, that this party is supported by the left-wing guerillas in Colombia. This statement as well has the likely effect of inspiring violent retaliation by right-wing paramilitaries against members of the Democratic Pole. In their November 16 letter, the three Congressional Representatives also expressed continuing concern for the lives of trade unionists in Colombia who continue to be targeted for assassination. They expressed particular concern for members of the Sinaltrainal union of Colombia, a union of beverage and food workers, who have received a number of death threats this year from the Black Eagles. Finally, the Congressmen expressed their about Sandra Suarez who until recently was President Uribe’s Adviser on Colombia’s efforts to obtain passage of the Colombian FTA in the U.S. Congress. In this regard, the three Congressmen noted allegations which surfaced over the past months that “Ms. Suarez had substantial links to paramilitaries in the Cesar, Magdalena and Guajira Departments.” The letter goes on to state that “while we cannot speak to the veracity of these allegations, they are certainly serious and appear to have resulted in Ms. Suarez’s abrupt resignation from your Administration. We ask that the Colombian government commit to a full and impartial investigation of these allegations.”
Article Source: http://www.share.citynewslive.com
Please Rate this Article
5 out of 54 out of 53 out of 52 out of 51 out of 5
Not yet Rated
