6. British Oil Company Training 
Colombian Police?

Amnesty International (AI) has warned that if allegations are true that 
British Petroleum (BP) is involved in providing lethal training to the 
Colombian police through the services of a British-owned private security 
firm, this training "could lead to serious human rights violations against 
the local community." AI points out that local civilians involved in 
legitimate protest against oil companies have been labeled subversive and 
have been victimized by the security forces and their paramilitary allies.

The latest allegations against BP were made in a World in Action  television 
program broadcast in Britain on June 30. The program charged that BP has 
entered into a contract with Defence Systems Limited, a British private 
security company, to provide counter-insurgency training--reportedly 
including lethal weapons handling, sniper fire and close-quarter combat--to 
a Colombian police unit charged with protecting BP's staff and installations 
in the Casanare region of Colombia. (AI Index AMR 23/44/97, dated 
6/30/97)

from:\
Weekly News Update on the Americas
Issue #338    July 6, 1997
(212) 674-9499