April 30, 1997
To:
The Honorable Madeline Albright
Secretary of State
Department of State
Washington, DC 20520
Dear Secretary Albright:
I am writing to express my grave concerns regarding the current situation in Colombia. I am deeply disturbed by the continued occurrence of human rights violations.
I would like to commend the U.S. Department of State for the 1996 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. Raising awareness of the troubling accounts of continued abuses of human rights around the world is a good step toward ending these violations. While this year's report acknowledged that the Colombian "...overall human rights record remained poor...", counternarcotics concerns continue to take precedents over human rights violations.
Despite repeated promises by President Ernesto Samper Pizano to improve the human rights situation in Colombia, serious abuses continue. According to the Colombian Commission of Jurists, since 1995, an average of 6 Colombian civilians are murdered every day for political or ideological reasons and one disappears every two days. Of specific concern are actions of paramilitary groups, who allegedly commit almost half of all acts of political violence. It is of great concern to me that civilians remain the primary victims of this internal conflict. We must work to bring an end to these senseless acts of violence against Colombian citizens and hold the perpetrators accountable for their actions.
It is my hope that you will continue to support the work of Mrs. Almudena Mazarrasa Alvear, the recently appointed Director of the U.N. High Commission on Human Rights in Colombia. It is crucial that U.S. officials come together with other international leaders to ensure that Mrs. Mazarrasa is able to effectively carry out the position's mandate of investigating allegations of human rights abuses.
In addition, I want to be sure that U.S. counternarcotic funds to Colombia are not in any way involved with allegations of human rights abuses. Under the Foreign Operations Appropriations Act for fiscal year 1997, no U.S. counternarcotics assistance can support foreign military and police forces who have been implicated in human rights violations. I would like your help in broadly and effectively implementing this provision, the Leahy language, as it relates to aid to Colombia.
In conclusion, I urge you to do everything possible in cooperation with international leaders and the Colombian government to restore peace and democracy in Colombia. Your time and attention to this pressing international concern is greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Scott Klug
Member of Congress