The Militant - November 2, 2004 -- U.S. Congress authorizes doubling of U.S. troops in Colombia to 800

Vol. 68/No. 40 November 2, 2004

U.S. Congress authorizes doubling of
U.S. troops in Colombia to 800

BY MICHAEL ITALIE
The U.S. Congress decided to double Washington’s military presence in Colombia October 9, to back Bogotá’s war against opponents of the country’s right-wing regime, including the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). Congress voted to double the cap on U.S. military personnel stationed in Colombia to 800 and increase from 400 to 600 the number of “private contractors” the U.S. government may hire for military operations in the South American nation.

The State Department said the troops were necessary to aid the “high tempo and overall progress” of Colombian president Álvaro Uribe’s campaign against “narco-terrorists.” The U.S. troops will participate in a range of military and police operations, including “intelligence support,” upgrading Colombian aircraft, and training of Colombian forces.

U.S. forces have trained a growing number of troops and police in Latin America—more than 22,000 in 2003, a 52 percent jump over the previous year. The majority—nearly 13,000—were from Colombia, double the number of Colombian forces trained the previous year.

The U.S. government has sent $3.3 billion to Bogotá since 2000 under Plan Colombia, initiated by the Clinton White House. President George Bush expanded on Plan Colombia with the 2002 Andean Regional Initiative. Justified under the pretext of fighting the “war on terrorism” and the narcotics trade, this military buildup is being carried out in anticipation of sharper resistance by workers and farmers to the economic catastrophe that is gripping Latin America.

Confirming bipartisan support for U.S. military intervention in Colombia, Democratic presidential hopeful John Kerry stated October 15, “As a Senator I have consistently supported Plan Colombia; and as President, I will work with President Uribe to keep the bipartisan spirit alive in support of Plan Colombia.”

Popular opposition to Uribe’s course was demonstrated by mass marches October 12 in major Colombian cities. About 300,000 unionists, farmers, and others rallied in Bogotá, Barranquilla, Bucaramanga, Cali, Cartagena, and Medellín. The labor-organized actions protested Uribe’s brutal “war on terrorism,” his efforts to change the constitution to allow him to run for reelection, and rising unemployment.

This spring 5,500 oil workers waged a successful 37-day strike to prevent the state-run oil industry Ecopetrol from being sold off to foreign capitalists. The unionists said that privatization would likely mean layoffs and reduced benefits. Despite “anti-terrorist” measures by the police that included the deployment of troops to oil facilities and the firing of 248 union militants, the strikers forced the government to back off its privatization plans. It was the first strike by the union against Ecopetrol since 1977.

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