CPTers confront U.S. Ambassador on arms funding
CSN-MADISON, MAY 15, 2002
by Carol Foltz Spring
BARRANCABERMEJA--On May 8, 2002, U.S. Ambassador to Colombia Anne Patterson
visited this industrial city and was met by local Christian Peacemakers
challenging her violent antiterrorism stance. With signs proclaiming
"A peaceful coexistence does not include arms," the CPTers
washed the American flag, remembering the complicity of the U.S. government
in the "dirty war" in Colombia.Ambassador Patterson was attending
the inauguration of a new community center (translated literally, "coexistence
center") in the same outlying area of Barrancabermeja where CPT
has its offices. The team responded with signs reading "Coexistence
YES, arms NO!" Patterson had announced the previous day that the
U.S. Congress is considering a bill that would send $6 million this
year and $28 million next year for an increased army presence to guard
the Cano Limon-Covenas oil pipeline in Arauca, Colombia. This would
be a new military funding package not part of the massive military aid
already included in Plan Colombia. During the two-hour vigil, team members
sang, prayed, and spoke with neighbors. Surrounded by approximately
forty to fifty heavily armed soldiers and policemen who were guarding
the embassy delegation, they declared, "We wash the American flag
of the blood of the innocents who have died because of arms from North
America. We demand that the U.S. government stop sending arms to Colombia."A
local priest, Father Jose, spoke of his gratefulness for the CPTers'
presence, saying, "the flag-washing was beautiful." Several
Colombian human rights workers took a break from the diplomatic gathering
and joined the team enthusiastically in singing "Solo Le Pido a
Dios" ("All I ask of God is that I not become indifferent
to war..."). "Our presence showed that there's a great deal
of North American opposition to military aid to Colombia, and that we
are supporting locals who are working for change," affirmed team
member John Marks.
Team members participating in the event were Marks (Portland, OR), Matt
Schaaf (Winnipeg, MB), Pierre Shantz (Waterloo, ON), and Carol Spring
and Charles Spring (Palo Alto, CA).