US not enforcing human rights conditions tied to aid to Colombia: HRW

[Judi Lynn]

US not enforcing human rights conditions tied to aid to Colombia: HRW
Sunday, 22 January 2012 11:49
Adriaan Alsema

The United States fails to enforce human rights conditions imposed on aid to Colombia, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said Sunday.

In its World Report 2012, the human rights organization stated that Washington "provided approximately US$562 million in aid, about 61 percent of which was military and police aid. Thirty percent of US military aid is subject to human rights conditions, which the US Department of State has not enforced."

The report also criticized the U.S. for failing to "address the paramilitary successor groups believed to be responsible for a large portion of anti-union violence" in the April 2011 Labor Action Plan that was to improve the situation of labor rights workers in Colombia; a condition for the Democrats to ratify a free trade agreement with the South American country.

More:
http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/21674-us-not-enforcing-human-rights-conditions-tied-to-aid-to-colombia-hrw.html

[EFerrari]

1. Gee, HRW, ya think?

[Peace Patriot]

2. Only "thirty percent of US military aid is subject to human rights conditions"?!

Apart from the lack of enforcement of human rights conditions in Colombia where fascists run things in the interest of transglobal corporations, war profiteers and the big drug mafias, there is this appalling fact (if true), that only 30% of U.S. taxpayer-funded military aid is even subject to human rights conditions! WTF?

Is that residue of the Bush Junta or did Bill Clinton do that? Or is it more recent?

So there is lying, hypocrisy and bloodymindedness at the State Department about existing, massive human rights violations in our partner country on "free trade for the rich," and even if there wasn't--even if the U.S. strictly enforced its aid conditions--such enforcement wouldn't apply to 70% of the military aid?!

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"In its World Report 2012, the human rights organization stated that Washington 'provided approximately US$562 million in aid, about 61 percent of which was military and police aid. Thirty percent of US military aid is subject to human rights conditions, which the US Department of State has not enforced.'" --from the OP (my emphasis)

[cqo_000]

3. The amount of aid frozen pending certification is 25 percent

Sec. 7045. Western Hemisphere (Modified)

http://rules.house.gov/Media/file/PDF_112_1/legislativetext/HR2055crSOM/psConference%20Div%20I%20-%20SOM%20OCR.pdf