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Colombia Petition

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a sample to guide your letter to your legislator.

Honorable [your legislator here]

We write to voice our concern about what is happening in
Colombia. For forty years Colombians have tried to solve their
internal conflict militarily and all they have gotten is more
deaths, 75% of which are civilians. Our government feeds this war
through Plan Colombia with $1.6 million a day in military aid.

Human Rights Watch, the U.S. State Dept. and the Colombian
justice system itself have found evidence of army collaboration with the
paramilitary. Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT), which has had a presence in Barrancabermeja since 2001, has seen the failure of Plan Colombia's American-funded aerial spraying to kill coca, and the devastating effects on food crops and suffering of local populations caused by the spraying.

We add our voice to the growing numbers who are calling on our government to encourage a negotiated solution to the Colombian civil war. As well as ending the civil war, negotiations need to have a goal of raising the living standard of the poor.

Peace is coming to Colombia. In many ways it is just a matter of how long we will stall it by giving more military aid through Plan Colombia. Please keep us updated on bill HR 1361 and S600 to fund Plan Colombia. Would you please help by voting to decrease military aid and increase humanitarian aid for Colombia?

We wait to hear your position on this important issue.

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