Send a letter to Congress!
Let your elected officials know that you’re a part of a large citizen movement opposing this harmful trade agreement!
Although the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement (FTA) has been in the works since the Bush Administration signed it in 2006, it has recently been moving forward through Congress, and it is likely to be voted on as soon as July. Opposition to the proposed FTA has never been so crucial. The Obama Administration and congressional leaders say there is no reason to block this trade agreement. However, to anyone who values respecting human rights, passage of this FTA would be a grave decision.
As shown by the powerful testimonies in the video that the U.S. Office on Colombia has shared with us, there is no denying the negative impacts of the FTA on indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities. If passed now, the U.S.-Colombia FTA would harm the most vulnerable populations in Colombia, those that are already most brutally affected by decades of war: poor farmers and laborers in conflict zones, Afro-Colombian and indigenous communities, and internally-displaced persons seeking to return to their lands. Colombia remains one of the most dangerous places for human rights defenders and community organizers, where death is always a risk they run for their courageous actions.
Additional reasons to oppose the US-Colombia FTA:
- Exacerbated Humanitarian Crisis: By encouraging more large-scale “development” projects, such as agricultural and resource extraction projects, Afro-Colombian and indigenous communities would be illegally pushed off their ancestral lands and into greater poverty. Colombia has the highest number of internally displaced persons in the world, greater than that of Sudan, with more than five million displaced people. Without adequate protections, the number of displaced persons will continue to increase and economic opportunity will continue to be beyond the reach of these groups.
- Increased Drug Production: Unable to compete with U.S. markets, nearly 400,000 small farmers would lose at least half of their income, making it virtually impossible for them to produce enough to survive without turning to lucrative illicit coca production. The Obama Administration would be further fueling cocaine production in Colombia, countering the billions of US dollars spent to combat the “war on drugs.”
- No Prior Informed Consent: The Colombian Constitution requires that Afro-Colombian and indigenous communities must be consulted in a free and informed manner with regards to policies directly affecting their lands and livelihoods. The government did not respect the right to previous consultation with either group during the negotiation of this FTA.
Here in DC, there has been a lot of growing action around this devastating FTA. Amazon Watch joined the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) in securing over 400 signatures from organizations, academics, and individuals in the U.S. and Colombia for their sign-on letter that was sent to congress last Thursday, June 23, asking that members vote against the proposed FTA. And today, July 11th, we were outside the White House protesting along with the Washington Office on Latin American, Friends of the Earth, Presbyterian Peace Fellowship, and others. Check out photos from the protest below!
Photo Credit: Caitlin Doughty
