Tell Congress NO to U.S. military aid to Guatemala!

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May 2005

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Tell Congress NO to U.S. military aid to Guatemala!
A legislative action request from the Resource Center of the Americas: In the coming weeks, members of the House and Senate Foreign Operations subcommittees will be deciding whether to lift the ban on U.S. military aid to Guatemala (IMET/FMF ban).

BACKGROUND: The IMET/FMF ban has been in place since 1990, following the assassination of U.S. innkeeper Michael Devine. It was modified after the 1996 signing of the Guatemalan Peace Accords to permit the Guatemalan military to attend expanded-IMET courses, which cover subjects such as civil-military relations, military justice, and democracy. The ban on regular military training remains a useful source of leverage to advance military reforms agreed upon by the Guatemalan State in the Peace Accords.

Earlier this year, the U.S. released military aid that remained in the "pipeline" since military aid was frozen in 1990. This constitutes a significant increase in aid despite minimal progress in strengthening the rule of law. The Bush Administration is now asking Congress to permanently lift the ban on regular military aid known as foreign military financing (FMF) and international military education and training (IMET).

Just days after the recent March visit to Guatemala of U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, Guatemalan Defense Minister Carlos Aldana remarked in an interview: "...the armed forces need to become more involved in internal security." In response to whether the United States could support armies in their new role that is more focused on internal security rather than defense, Aldana stated, "I believe this is the spirit of Rumsfeld's visit to Guatemala."

Guatemala has NOT yet made the substantive reforms necessary to justify a removal of the ban on U.S. military aid. The IMET/FMF ban should NOT be removed.

REQUESTED ACTION: Please call members of the Foreign Operations Sub-Committees and request that the IMET/FMF ban for Guatemala NOT be removed. Talking points and contact information are below.

TALKING POINTS:
**Guatemalan Armed forces should limit their role to external defense: Currently the Guatemalan Armed Forces participate actively in internal security operations. Joint military-police patrols, for example, are expanding. This is in violation of the 1996 Peace Accords.

**Need to strengthen the rule of law and make progress in the investigation of military officers implicated in human rights cases: According to the final report of the United Nations Verification Mission to Guatemala (MINUGUA), "judicial impunity continues remains today the rule rather than the exception... attempts to investigate and prosecute security force members for atrocities committed during the conflict have been generally unsuccessful; those who try have been subject to threats, violence and years of judicial obstruction."

**Continuing attacks against human rights defenders, journalists: According to the National Human Rights Movement, nearly 30 human rights defenders have been victims of death threats and intimidations in 2005 alone. Clandestine groups or illegal armed groups with links to the military intelligence apparatus, the State, and organized criminal networks are believed to be responsible for many of these attacks. Although a commission to investigate these clandestine groups (CICIACS) was a publicly stated top priority of the U.S. Government, the Berger administration demonstrated a significant lack of political will and ability to secure establishment of the initiative.

CONTACT INFORMATION: You can find contact information for the Congresspeople below by calling theCapitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 or by clicking on the links provided.

Members of the Foreign Operations Sub-Committees:
House of Representatives
Jim Kolbe (AZ) - http://www.house.gov/kolbe/
Joe Knollenberg (MI) - http://www.house.gov/knollenberg/
Mark S. Kirk (IL) - http://www.house.gov/kirk/
Ander Crenshaw (FL) - http://crenshaw.house.gov/crenshaw-web/jsp/default.jsp
Don Sherwood (PA) - http://www.house.gov/sherwood/
John Sweeney (NY) - http://www.house.gov/sweeney/
Dennis R. Rehberg (MT) - http://www.house.gov/rehberg/
John Carter (TX) - http://www.house.gov/carter/
Nita Lowey (NY) - http://www.house.gov/lowey/
Jesse Jackson, Jr. (IL) - http://www.house.gov/jackson/
Carolyn Kilpatrick (MI) - http://www.house.gov/kilpatrick/
Steven Rothman (NJ) - http://www.house.gov/rothman/
Chaka Fattah (PA) - http://www.house.gov/fattah/

Senate
Senator Mitch McConnell (KY) - http://mcconnell.senate.gov/
Senator Arlen Specter (PA) - http://specter.senate.gov/
Senator Judd Gregg (NH) - http://gregg.senate.gov/
Senator Richard Shelby (AL) - http://shelby.senate.gov/
Senator Robert Bennett (UT) - http://bennett.senate.gov/
Senator Christopher Bond (MO) - http://bond.senate.gov/
Senator Mike DeWine (OH) - http://dewine.senate.gov/
Senator Sam Brownback (KS) - http://brownback.senate.gov/
Senator Patrick Leahy (VT) - http://leahy.senate.gov/
Senator Daniel Inouye (HI) - http://inouye.senate.gov/
Senator Tom Harkin (IA) - http://harkin.senate.gov/
Senator Barbara Mikulski (MD) - http://mikulski.senate.gov/
Senator Richard Durbin (IL) - http://durbin.senate.gov/
Senator Tim Johnson (SD) - http://johnson.senate.gov/
Senator Mary Landrieu (LA) - http://landrieu.senate.gov

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