Response from Colombian President Álvaro Uribe to letter from 23 U.S. Senators, August 3, 2004

Bogotá, D.C., August 3, 2004
Honorable Senator
JOHN KERRY
Washington, D.C. 20510

Distinguished Senator:

I read with great attention your letter of July 27, which contains important considerations regarding Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law in Colombia. In our Nation, so affected by violence and terrorism, we value the interest of governments, leaders, and organizations of countries towards rights, security, and justice in Colombia. Your message constitutes a positive element for the collective hope of Colombians.

The transformation of the Colombian reality has as a requirement the involvement of the international community. We fully share the ideals of liberty, democracy, solidarity, respect of laws, tolerance with difference, charming spirit, and pacific coexistence that you express. That is precisely the foundation of the policy of Democratic Security through which my Government defends and protects the population from constant and cruel terrorist attacks. We are stimulated by the recognition you express in the letter regarding this topic. The diminution of homicides, forced displacement, massacres, assassination of union leaders, kidnapping, and indiscriminate attacks demonstrates an improvement of the situation of Human Rights. Nevertheless, our country suffers terrorism - financed by drug trafficking - with intensity and harshness. There is much more to do.

In a great measure, it has been possible to achieve these results thanks to the cooperation of the Government of the United States and to the support of the American Congress. Plan Colombia started precisely during the Government of President Bill Clinton. We appreciate and thank this assistance and we hope to continue counting with your solidarity in order to consolidate the results of this policy.

Each day we receive more support and compression from the United States and the international community in essential topics such as demanding terrorists the unconditional liberation of kidnapped individuals, the cease of hostilities, aggressions, and outrages against the population, and the sincere dialogue that the Government is willing to undertake with honesty and generosity.

I want to reiterate with full clarity that my administration highly values the labor that is embarked in our country by individuals and organizations that promote and defend Human Rights. They count with all the guarantees from the State to execute their labor, regardless if they backup or oppose the Government. We value and respect their job but, as corresponds to a democratic and pluralist Government, we reserve the right to dissent when their reports are inexact and based on false facts.

Regarding the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, I want to stress that we extended for four years the presence of a delegate of that office in our country. Since the beginning of the Government, the delegate maintains a permanent dialogue - with no restrictions - through the Vice-presidency of the Republic (entity in charge of the policy of Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law) in order to deal with the recommendations, which we permanently follow with the participation of the Ambassadors of the United States, United Kingdom, Brazil, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and Low Countries.

Regarding this manner, I feel it is appropriate to comment what follows:

Various recommendations of the United Nations High Commissioner constitute an integral portion of the Government's policy and are contained in the Development Plan approved by the Congress of the Republic. I enclose with this letter a detailed report of the advances in each recommendation.
This Government has a complete determination to fight all illegal armed groups. We passed from 3,763 captured rebels in 2002 to 6,967 in 2003. And 1,356 members of the self-defense groups were captured in 2002, 3,166 in 2003, and 2,296 in the first semester of 2004. In addition to the 346 members that were killed in 2003 and 304 in the first semester of 2004, the fact constitutes the most forceful action against this group in the country's history. This job is realized by our Armed Forces with strict observation and respect for Human Rights and the International Humanitarian Law.
Ours is a firm policy destined to fight rebels but, at the same time, is generous with those who disarm. Since August, 2002, more than 5,800 members of FARC, ELN, and AUC have demobilized, and the Majority of them have been attended under the Reincorporation Program.
Protection was strengthened in the case of the Permanent Assemble of Civil Society mentioned in the letter. In the other two cases, the Attorney General Office, as an independent entity, is undertaking investigations.
Impunity and deficiencies of the judging system constitute one of the main worries of the Government. It is derived mainly from the high criminality that is registered in the country - more than 20 thousand homicides during the last years, just to mention one figure -. But we are working actively to remedy this problem. Starting from January, 2005, an accusatory system shall count with validity thanks to the reforms that were approved by the Congress in the past legislature.
The cases of collusion of members of the Armed Forces with self-defense groups constitute an atypical conduct that is against the Government's will and against the conduct of the majority of members of the Armed Forces. The Government is working actively to strengthen mechanisms of control and prevention, and to sanction these behaviors, which are unacceptable for the Government and for society. The reports that were presented to the Congress of the United States in 2003 precise how many members of the Armed Forces have been sanctioned and even dismissed because of this motion. This information is available.
The Government's policy is to give protection to all Colombians, with no exception. Despite our serious economic difficulties, we are dedicating attention and great resources to the Program of Protection of Vulnerable Population, which has counted since 1999 to March 31, 2004, with a total budget of 51,261,324 dollars, of which 13,780,610 dollars correspond to year 2004. This fact represents an increase of 9% in relation with 2003. More than 5,200 persons received protection in 2003, and 3,640 during 2004. 871 of them are members of labor unions, and 380, integrants of NGO's.

I thank once more your interest in Colombia. I invite you to maintain and deepen your interlocution about these and other topics with us, and to visit our country so you can have a direct vision of the realities, advances, and challenges of our democracy.

I take advantage of the occasion to reiterate my consideration and affection,

ÁLVARO URIBE VÉLEZ
President of the Republic of Colombia