December 2001 Call to Action News

Let's not forget that other war raging - in Colombia

Late-breaking news of rising violence in Colombia was shared in detail at all three CTA conferences. Fr. Roy Bourgeois and his SOA Watch staff colleague, Linda Panetta, had just returned with Bishop Tom Gumbleton from a fact-finding trip to Colombia. Showing slides, Panetta described the situation, as the $1.4 billion from the U.S. in "Plan Colombia" sprays deadly defoliants from aircraft to kill the coca plants that produce cocaine, but also kill food crops, livestock, farmers and their children. People forced off their land join the two million Colombians who are internal refugees. Theologian Jeanette Rodriguez also visited Colombia this year, and made it the focus of her talk about Catholic social teaching and Latin America. She said the grassroots church in Colombia is organizing local "communities of peace" - groups who publicly declare they will not support any side in the civil war. All sides - the army, the paramilitary death squads, and the rebels - are funded by drug traffic and all are killing civilians in appalling numbers. The Jesuits at her own Seattle University are recruiting student volunteers who go out to the peace communities, "accompany them," and bring the stories home.