HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST SPEAKS OUT ON COLOMBIAN DRUG WAR, US ROLE

Human rights activist and journalist Nancy Sanchez Mendez came from Colombia
to URI last night to speak on the impact of U.S. aid in her country.

For the past three years, the United States has given Colombia two million
dollars a day to fight the War on Drugs. In effect, this money harms the
people of Colombia, crushing the small farmers simply trying to survive,
Mendez said. The aid package worsens the already complicated war that has
been going on for over four decades. The goals of Plan Colombia, implemented
in 2000, are to eradicate the coca plant, primarily through air fumigation,
and to bring in true democracy, according to Mendez.

One of the most violent countries in the world, Colombia currently has two
guerrilla presences; both are armed forces from the left. The FARC
(Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia) and the ELN (National Liberation
Army) rose up against repression and social injustice in the 1960's, which
is still happening today. They are now radicalized against the civil
population of Colombia, Mendez said. Two communities have been completely
fenced in by the FARC. People cannot leave their homes, because they will be
suspected of being in the paramilitary.

The paramilitary groups are responsible for much of the violence in the
country, which carry out a policy of terror, Mendez said. The armed groups
do not fight each other; rather it is the civil population being attacked,
with 60,000 to 70,000 civilian deaths each year.

Two thousand municipalities, or small villages, have been taken over by the
paramilitary, which is mostly financed by the U.S. government. "Who is it
that they're protecting in these villages?" asked Mendez. This year there
have been over 500 people killed in the streets, she said. It seems
infeasible that the police do not notice this, and do not see who is doing
the killing.

There are 30 million people living in Colombia, and 10 million live in
misery, even lower than the poverty level, Mendez said. They have less than
one dollar a day to feed themselves. A small few have almost all the wealth
and investment, while the middle class keeps getting poorer, she said.

Mendez asked the audience how it can be that the billions of U.S. dollars
are so misplaced, and doing nothing to help these people. Eighty-seven
percent of U.S. aid goes towards the Colombian military, and their
affiliations.

Many small farmers in Colombia grow the coca plant, with which they make
coca paste. This is not cocaine and they sell it for $300, Mendez said. When
it is brought to the U.S. and made into cocaine, it is sold for $100,000.

Fourteen thousand small farmers have now manually eradicated their coca
plants, and planted alternative crops such as bell peppers and corn, Mendez
said. The aerial fumigation is killing these alternative developments, as
well as the coca plants. Therefore, Mendez termed this not a war on drugs,
but a "War of Hunger."

The aerial fumigation has harmful health effects as well. Dangerous
chemicals are used, which are not even allowed in the U.S., Mendez said.
They get on the skin of small children, causing rashes, intense itchiness
and also eye and stomach problems. There have been several deaths of
children resulting from this, according to Mendez.

When asked how she stays motivated and continues her work helping the people
of Colombia, Mendez said her strength comes from the people. Those that are
resisting against the injustice are the heroes, she said. The fact that
policies should be based in human dignity, and not in economic and political
power is what keeps her going, Mendez said.

Mendez's speech last night was sponsored by Students for Social Change,
Students for Sensible Drug Policy and Students for Environmental Action.
Witness for Peace brought Mendez to URI, and Allison Buri was the
translator.