Colombia to Investigate U.S. Military Sex Abuse Allegations

The Colombian government pledged on Tuesday to thoroughly investigate allegations into fifty-four suspected cases of child sex abuse by U.S. military personnel and defense contractors.

“We request through diplomatic channels and bilateral cooperation that U.S. authorities report on the progress of their investigation,” according to a statement from Jorge Armando Otalora of the Ombudsman’s office.  Otalora condemned the rumors that sex acts with minors was videotaped and distributed as pornography.

“Since child pornography is a transnational crime, there exists mechanisms to guarantee justice and prevent impunity regardless of the diplomat immunity of the accused,” emphasized Otalora.

While Otalora called on the prosecution of those behind the suspected abuse, the head of Colombia’s child welfare agency, Cristina Plazas, urged potential victims to come forward.

Furthermore, Plazas also suggested the establishment of special commissions in the Cundinamarca and Tolima provinces where the supposed abuse took place in order to “actively seek girls and teens that were victims of abuse at the hands of soldiers.”

A truth commission seeking details on the decades-long armed conflict in Colombia authorized the “Historic Commission of Conflict and its Victims” study. The section by Renan Vega, a history professor of the Universidad Pedagógica Nacional de Bogotá, describes the fifty-four cases of alleged abuse committed between 2003 and 2007 in a small part of the 809-page study.

“There is abundant evidence of sexual violence and total impunity, thanks to bilateral agreements and diplomatic immunity of U.S. officials…(It is) part of sexist and discriminatory behavior known as ‘sexual imperialism’ similar to what happens in other places where U.S. military forces are stationed,” wrote Vega.

Spokespeople for the U.S. military and defense contractors claimed that there is insufficient evidence to prove Vega’s claims, while an investigation by the Fusion television network concluded that his allegations were “unsubstantiated.” Yet evidence appears to exist of the 2007 case of a 12-year-old girl purportedly raped by a U.S. sergeant and defense contractor:

What the Pending Republican Sweep Means for Latin America

It's becoming more and more likely that the Republicans will take over the US House of Representatives, and may even grab the Senate. Domestic economic issues are the primary reason Republicans are poised to make big gains, and hence will take up most of the time and focus when the newbies arrive on Capitol Hill.

But lots of important work still gets done outside the glaring eye of cable news. Foreign Policy has highlighted some of these changes, and there are indeed some important potential shakeups with regard to US policy towards Latin America.

Cuba:
One of the Obama administration's most prominent diversions from Bush-era policy has come on Cuba. Though any further thawing is made very difficult by Cuba's continued detention of USAID contractor Alan Gross, the Obama admin has reversed the Bush administration's tightened restrictions on travel to the island by Cuban-Americans as well as cultural and educational groups. Despite international and elite public opinion against the sustained isolation of Cuba, the US' Cuba policy is driven by a large by a critical political constituency in a swing state: Cuban-Americans in Miami/Dade County, Florida.

So it's very interesting that Cuban-born Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen is poised to take over the House Foreign Affairs Committee should the Republicans re-take the house. Ros-Lehtinen is a prominent advocate of the hard-line Cuban exiles and is unlikely to budge an inch towards any gestures made by anyone in Cuba with the Castro surname.

Trade:
On the trade issue, the US still has pending free trade agreements with Panama and Colombia. The Colombia deal has been subject to more Congressional scrutiny, with many union-backed Democrats pushing for deeper environmental or labor rights protections before signing off. Especially given the current economic climate, there will likely be a push by pro-trade conservatives to get the treaties through on the grounds of boosting the economy. Trade may be one of the areas the Obama admin can tout bi-partisan success with the new Republican majority.

Drugs:
Colombia has received heaps of money over the years to support its fight against drug production and trafficking. The Plan Colombia era is definitely drawing to a close, as concerns about drugs and violence in Mexico take center stage in most Americans' minds. Expect a shift of resources and attention, as well as finger-pointing, towards Mexico and to a lesser extent Central America.

Venezuela:
Sen. Jim DeMint, staunch opponent of the Obama admin's reaction to the Honduras coup last year, is poised to become significantly more important as Congress' resident Tea Party leader (assuming he can beat out Alvin Greene). DeMint doesn't like Chavez and has used his position in the minority to block confirmation of nominations to key Latin American-related posts in the admin. With Venezuela increasingly cozying up to Iran, expect some fun hearings and zingers, at the very least.

Immigration:
Lastly, though a domestic policy issue, immigration reform will also be significantly affected. Whether the new Republicans can or will make any more progress than the last time their colleagues took up immigration will be a huge issue (that will not escape the eye of cable news) remains to be seen.

Image: Washington Post ("Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) holds a copy of the constitution of Honduras during a press conference with interim President Roberto Micheletti at the presidential house in Tegucigalpa.")

Online Sources: Christian Science Monitor, New York Times, Foreign Policy, The Hill, Real Clear Politics, NOLA.com, Just the Facts

Two Distinct Visions of Colombian/U.S. Relations

While Colombia continues to extradite some paramilitary leaders to the U.S. with concerns that such actions will shield them from Colombian justice, one former U.S. FARC hostage is concerned that some extraditions are based on drug trafficking and not for kidnapping.

Earlier this month, the Colombian Supreme Court denied a request by the United States to extradite Gafas for our kidnapping. The court issued a statement explaining they denied his extradition "because the crimes for which he is wanted were committed in national territory." Similarly, though the extradition request for Cesar was approved, it was approved for drug trafficking not for our abduction.

...Colombian President Uribe has extradited over 800 criminals to the US, more than any other president in the history of Colombia. In his time as president he has worked forcefully and skillfully with the United States to put criminals in their place and see that justice is served. But despite Uribe's diligent efforts, the situation with Gafas and Cesar demonstrates the fraught and difficult questions that need to be answered as America confronts terrorism in its own backyard. In Colombia and in other locations around the world, the War on Terror is unavoidably tied to the War on Drugs. Both are important and crucial to keeping America safe, but making drugs the only grounds for extradition sets a dangerous precedent and risks undermining our country's ability to combat terrorism.

But is Plan Colombia and the war on drugs really about justice and terrorism? If so, why the hell isn't it working?

An October report from the Government Accountability Office found that coca-leaf production in Colombia had increased by 15% and cocaine production had increased by 4% between 2000 and 2006, and recommended cutting funding. Plan Colombia has cost U.S. taxpayers over $6 billion.

Plan Colombia has also failed to promote human rights. Broadly speaking, the practical political meaning of Plan Colombia in the Colombian political context has been: "Washington supports the Colombian government, and therefore the Colombian government can do whatever it wants without restraint." The human consequences of this political blank check have been disastrous.

In may ways the issue boils down to whose rights are more valued and whose values are considered rights. What I mean is that in the fight against "terrorism and drugs" being waged by the U.S. it seems that by any means necessary is ok (and by extension the actions of Uribe) however when it comes to those labeled as leftist terrorists, we want different standards applied.

Sources : The Latin Americanist, Huffington Post

Daily Headlines: November 7, 2008

* U.S.: Will New Mexico governor and Obama backer Bill Richardson be named the next Secretary of State?

* Venezuela: The country’s mining minister said that Russian firms will help in the development of two important gold projects.

* Mexico: A gruesome discovery was made when a handcuffed and beheaded man was hung from a highway overpass in Ciudad Juarez.

* Colombia: Plan Colombia funds have failed to reach their goal of reducing drug cultivation by 50% according to a General Accounting Office report.

Image- Top of the Ticket
Sources- The Latin Americanist, UPI, Guardian UK, The Australian, BBC News