Obama Proposes Cuts in Military Aid to Colombia

In a welcome change, the Obama Administration’s proposal for foreign aid for Fiscal Year (FY) 2011 would decrease funding for the Colombian military and police by 17%, from $263 million to $218 million, while making a much smaller decrease in economic aid levels, from $252 to $238.5 million, a 5% decrease. Last year, the administration’s aid proposal for FY 2010 essentially continued the same balance Congress had approved in 2009.  

The proposed decrease in FY 2011 military aid does not show the entire picture of aid to Colombia, commonly known as Plan Colombia, because economic aid includes funding for “Integrated Action” programs that combine military action with social programs.  Additionally, the US Department of Defense has its own budget line item for the Colombian military.  

Nevertheless, these numbers demonstrate the administration’s decision to decrease  support for the Colombian military that has repeatedly, blatantly violated human rights throughout the country.  Congress is expected to take up the foreign aid bill later this year. (For more information see the Center for International Policy’s blog and new podcast at www.cipcol.org.)

This step is hopeful after a year in which the administration demonstrated support for the Colombian military, e.g.  signing a new agreement that enabled the US military’s use of seven military bases throughout Colombia and certifying the Colombian government’s respect for human rights despite high profile cases of extrajudicial killings and illegal surveillance of human rights workers and unions by the Administrative Department of Security (DAS).  US pressure on the Colombian government to improve its human rights standards, address impunity, and respect organizations working for human rights remains essential to progress on these points.  

New information clearly shows the role of the state in ongoing violence.  The ex-director of the DAS, Jose Noguera, earlier this year gave testimony that he, in his role at the DAS, systematically collected information on unions and others that was shared directly with the President Uribe.  While Uribe subsequently denied that this was DAS policy, Noguera’s testimony further establishes that it is government policy to illegally carry out surveillance on sectors that oppose it, including unions, human rights organizations and academics.

In other evidence of the ongoing issues in Colombia’s internal conflict, Human Rights Watch published an excellent new report, “Paramilitaries’ Heirs,” highlighting emerging armed groups perpetuation of violence similar to paramilitary violence.