Letter from 6 House and Senate committee chairs and ranking members regarding support for paramilitary negotiations, February 2, 2005
February 2, 2005

The Honorable Alvaro Uribe
President
Republic of Colombia
Bogota, Colombia

Dear President Uribe:

It is a pleasure for us to be in communication with you again, and to express our appreciation for your government's efforts to improve security throughout Colombia.

In particular, we have been encouraged by the determination you have shown, in the face of difficult challenges, to confront the narco-guerrillas who have done so much damage to your country. We are hopeful for the release of the three U.S. hostages still being held by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). We have also noted the large number of extradition requests that the Colombian government has fulfilled in recent years. Extradition is an important component of U.S.-Colombia relations, and we appreciate your government's clear public statements and continued cooperation on this issue.

We support efforts to achieve peace in Colombia, including through efforts to demobilize Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) such as the AUC paramilitaries. We understand that the demobilization of these groups is a delicate process, and that any concessions made to these narco-terrorists will set a precedent for future negotiations with other FTOs such as the FARC.

We also support U.S. funding to implement the demobilization of paramilitary combatants, if such a process is conducted pursuant to an effective legal framework, as determined by Colombians through good faith negotiations with the Colombian Congress, that will bring about the dismantlement of the underlying structure, illegal sources of financing, and economic power of these FTOs. In this regard, we believe it is crucial that paramilitaries seeking benefits from demobilization be required to first disclose fully their knowledge of the operative structure of these FTOs and the role of individual members in illegal activities, and to forfeit their illegally acquired assets.

It is also critical that the provision of benefits to the leaders of these FTOs be conditioned on the groups' compliance with the cease-fire and cessation of criminal activity by its members. Finally, it is necessary that the perpetrators of atrocities be held accountable for their crimes.

We also urge your government to put in place effective mechanisms to monitor demobilized individuals to prevent them from continuing to engage in organized criminal activity. The legal framework you arrive at for the paramilitaries should be equally applicable to other narco-terrorist organizations. There should be no distinction.

Again, we want to support this process if the necessary laws are in place to ensure its success.

Thank you for your leadership, and for consideration of our views.

Respectfully,

PATRICK LEAHY
Ranking Member
Subcommittee on Foreign Operations

JOSEPH R. BIDEN, Jr.
Ranking Member
Committee on Foreign Relations

HENRY J. HYDE
Chairman
Committee on International Relations

CHRISTOPHER J. DODD
Ranking Member
Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere

RICHARD G. LUGAR
Chairman
Committee on Foreign Relations

TOM LANTOS
Ranking Member
Committee on International Relations