Statement by Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Massachusetts), February 20, 2004

Statement by Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Massachusetts), February 20, 2004

Contact: Michael Mershon
(202) 225-6101

February 20, 2004

Good afternoon.

I am very honored to have had the opportunity once again to travel to Colombia, and I would like to take this opportunity to express my appreciation to the Washington Office on Latin America for inviting me to participate in this delegation.

This is my third trip to Colombia. In the past, I have traveled to Putumayo, Apartado, Barrancabermeja, Popayan, Sincelejo, and of course, Bogota. On this trip, I traveled to Arauca in order to get some sense of the military, political and human rights situation in that very conflicted zone.

In addition to meeting with local and regional elected officials, members of the Colombian Armed Forces, and other government representatives, I have also been privileged to meet with and learn from human rights organizations, labor unions, religious leaders, and local community and development leaders working in support of Colombian democracy in these troubled and conflicted regions.

I respect and admire their work, their courage, their determination, and their commitment to human rights, international humanitarian law, and democratic principles.

Courage is a common characteristic, it seems to me, of the Colombian people.

It takes courage for a businessman to go to his office every day and run his company, knowing he or members of his family might be kidnapped by any number of criminal organizations or illegal armed actors.

It takes courage for mayors throughout the country to continue to manage their municipalities when they have been threatened with assassination for carrying out their democratic duties.

And it takes courage for human rights defenders to speak out on behalf of victims of human rights violations perpetrated by the guerrillas, the paramilitaries, or official forces.

It takes courage to provide these victims with legal representation and to advocate that their rights be respected.

It takes courage for workers to organize and present their concerns to managers and the government, knowing that to do so often results in death or exile for their leaders.

It takes courage for religious and community leaders to create local development projects, knowing that to do so will likely make them targets of all the armed actors.

One of the main reasons I came to Colombia this week was to deliver to President Uribe a bipartisan letter from Members of Congress expressing our continuing support for the human rights and civil society groups who daily work to protect the innocent and to strengthen democracy in Colombia.

This letter, signed by Republicans and Democrats, by those who have consistently voted in support of US military aid and other assistance to Colombia and those who have been critical of US policy, is an expression of our firm belief that the work of human rights defenders is critical for any democratic society that respects the rights of all its people.

As you are all aware, human rights defenders and many of the other organizations I mentioned work at great risk --- they suffer intimidation, death threats, forced exile, disappearance and even murder. We in the United States Congress are concerned for their safety, and our concern is heightened by the recent trend in public debate to discredit their work, including disturbing statements from many of the highest officials in Colombia.

I hope that President Uribe and his government, as well as the U.S. Embassy here in Bogota, will welcome our expression of support for the legitimacy of the work of these organizations and the important role they play on behalf of victims and in strengthening democratic institutions at all levels of Colombian society.

I further hope that President Uribe, for whom I personally have high regard, his government, and the U.S. Ambassador will take concrete steps to publicly express their support for the legitimacy of the work and contributions made by these individuals and organizations.

Democratic societies and governments allow for a plurality of views, including criticism. In fact, it is what makes us strong and distinguishes us from dictatorships or authoritarian rule. Dissent strengthens democracy, and by its very nature is a patriotic act. Let's be clear - taking up arms is not dissent. Disagreements over official policy must never be equated with being an armed actor.

Colombia is blessed with a broad range of non-governmental and civil society actors. It is my hope that we can all work together to ensure their safety and ability to carry out their important democratic work.