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March 2000
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Washington’s “Aid” Package for Colombia
With Friends Like These…
On March 30th, the House of Representatives approved the 2000 emergency supplemental aid package (HR 3908), which included $1.7 billion in aid for Colombia (most of it for the military). Despite strong efforts by some Representatives to cut the money designated for military aid to Colombia, the supplemental package emerged with the Colombia package intact and without strong human rights conditions on aid for the Colombian military.
However, by mid-April, the bill had been stalled by Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, who said the "window is closed" for the bill's consideration. He said the Colombia aid proposal would be presented as part of the normal appropriations process, probably during May or June, and promised his support of the plan to. It is unclear whether that means most of the package could be disbursed before October of this year, but on April 12 Lott promised Colombian President Andres Pastrana "We are going to find the earliest opportunity to get this funding approved." Lott spokesperson John Czartacki commented,"The Clinton administration has dragged its feet on Colombia for a number of years and now can't wait for a couple of months."
Clinton's proposed aid package to Colombia came "as talks in Sweden between the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the Colombian government are said to be making progress," according to the Weekly News Update. Government and FARC representatives spent 10 days in February on a "Eurotour," meeting amongst themselves and with regional business and political leaders. In a February 28 interview, FARC commander Raúl Reyes told Cambio that for aid to Colombia to be effective in supporting peace, it must be for social and economic development, and not for increased militarization.
Some U.S. congressional representatives have also opposed the aid package, despite predictions that no one would come out against it. An ammendment introduced in the House by Sam Farr called for fund to aid displaced people and condition military aid on human rights issues, but was defeated after McCaffrey wrote a letter opposing it. Representative Tom Campbell and others signed a letter to Bill Young, Chairman of the Committee on Appropriations urging him not to apropriate any money for military aid to Colombia. Senators Edward Kennedy and Patrick Leahy have introduced strong human rights conditions on the military aid package.
The following piece offers insight into Washington’s motives...
Big Guns Back Aid To Colombia:
Well-Financed U.S. Lobby Seeks Relief From Drug Wars
By Sam Loewenberg from Legal Times, February 21, 2000
Through the U.S.-Colombia Business Partnership–founded in 1996 to represent U.S. companies with interests in Colombia–the Occidental Petroleum Corp., the Enron Corp., BP Amoco, the Colgate-Palmolive Co., and others played an important part in pressing the administration and Congress for [further military] aid [to Colombia]. The business partnership is now actively pushing the Clinton initiative….
Oxy
Occidental [Oxy], which claims that a company oil project in Colombia has lost $100 million since 1995 because of terrorist activity, formally made its case last week [when Lawrence] Meriage [, Oxy's vice president for public affairs] testified before the House Government Reform Subcommittee on Drug Policy. [Please see U'wa article.]
Occidental, which is taking the lead, and the other members of the consortium "are really appreciative of what we are doing in getting rid of the narco-traffickers," says McCaffrey spokesman Robert Weiner. "It is going to mean that all of their businesses are going to flourish."
For Occidental, the military aid comes at a crucial time, following massive disruption from attacks on its facilities. The company already pays the Colombian government to keep an army base next to its refinery to protect against attacks. But, Meriage says, the Colombian government itself needs help…
Sikorsky
Of the [original] $1.3 billion package, the largest chunk is earmarked for helicopter purchases. The United States would buy 30 Black Hawks, at a total cost of more than $360 million, from the Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., a subsidiary of the United Technologies Corp. In addition, Bell Helicopter Textron Inc. stands to earn about $66 million from the sale of 33 Hueys…
Sikorsky, based in Stratford, Conn., is in the district of Rep. Sam Gejdenson, the ranking member of the House International Rela-tions Committee. Connecticut is also home to Sen. Christopher Dodd, the ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommit-tee on Narcotics.
"Let's face it, any time you are dealing with an issue like this, and you are talking about hardware and jobs in your district, it makes a difference certainly," …says [former Representative Gerald Solomon (R- N.Y.), now a lobbyist for the aid package]. "Sure they are trying to give them more incentive to make them a stronger supporter. It's all part of the game."
Sikorsky's parent company, United Technologies, has given significantly to both members. Since 1997, Gejdenson has received $19,000 and Dodd has taken in $33,200 from the company, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. Spokesmen for Dodd and Gejdenson, who opposed military intervention in Latin America during the 1980s, said that neither member was influenced by the selection of a home-state company.
The sale of 30 or more Black Hawks would be a boon to Sikorsky, which has orders for only six helicopters from the U.S. Army this year, down from 19 last year, according to defense industry expert Bill Hartung of the World Policy Institute, a New York think tank affiliated with New School University.
The company's luck took a fortuitous turn late last year, after Sen. Dodd traveled to Colombia to meet with that nation's officials to discuss the administration's aid proposal… After Dodd left, the Colombians announced they would buy six Black Hawks on their own.
The streak continued when the Colombian government received support in the form of financing for the helicopters from the U.S. Export-Import Bank… The Ex[port]-Im[port] Bank is prohibited by its charter from lending for military purchases. But the bank was given a special exemption by the State Department, [a] spokeswoman said.
And recently, Sikorsky got some valuable, free advertising from an unusual source… "These are the best helicopters in the world. The next time you see me, I'll probably be peddling them, I hope," [U.S. drug czar Barry] McCaffrey cracked at the hearing last week before the House Subcommittee on Narcotics. McCaffrey's spokesman later emphasized that the general was kidding and had no plans to work for Sikorsky.
Bell Helicopter
Bell Helicopter, based in Fort Worth, Texas, claims its own powerful allies on the Hill. "The entire Texas Delegation is working this issue," says a company spokesperson, who declined to be identified.
Drug policy and human rights questions aside, the bottom line for most of the businesses pushing for the aid package is their own bottom line. "It's business for us, and we are as aggressive as anybody," said one Bell Helicopter lobbyist. "I'm just trying to sell helicopters."
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