Colombia
Ronald Hilton - 5/15/03
The US Institute of Peace tells us that U.S. involvement deepens as armed conflict escalates in Colombia. See http://www.usip.org/newsmedia/releases/2003/0512_NBcolombia.html. While American public attention has been focused
elsewhere, U.S. engagement in Colombia has been steadily growing, as has the armed conflict there. A peace process under
way for three years under former President Andrés Pastrana failed last year, and a war-weary public ushered in President
Alvaro Uribe with a mandate to address Colombia’s grave security concerns. Since then, the security for much of the
civilian population has deteriorated, political space for legitimate dissent and the defense of basic human rights is being
undermined, and dire human needs are not being addressed. Nonetheless there are signs that, despite the stalling of the
national peace process, civil society continues
to find ways to encourage peace. See www.usip.org/events/2003/0422_CIBcolombia.html.
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