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An Inconvenient Truth

I enjoy a good summer movie. Last week’s breaking news from Colombia could have been a spell-binding scene: Deep in the jungles of South America, military spies tricked a band of guerillas into forfeiting a group of prized hostages, who were then hustled to their freedom in a helicopter. The next day, a mother hugged her children for the first time in six years.

“It was an ending happier than any Hollywood director would dare to dream up," commented The Economist. But this one was real: After years of trying and intensive planning, the Colombian government had freed 15 hostages, including three Americans, from longtime captivity among left-wing revolutionaries.

The rescue mission comes at a time when protectionists in the United States have been accusing Colombia of human-rights abuses because they don’t want Congress to approve a free-trade agreement. What will they say now that Colombians have risked their lives on behalf of American citizens?

They’ll probably ignore it--they’re experts at ignoring inconvenient truths. But the rest of us should take stock.

Most of the pubic attention has focused on Ingrid Betancourt, a onetime Colombian presidential candidate who was captured by a rebel group known as FARC in 2002. She grew up in France, and for six years that nation has followed her ordeal and the plight of her children.

The three Americans are Marc Gonsalves, Thomas Howes, and Keith Stansell. They didn’t receive nearly as much attention, in part because they weren’t as well known. More than five years ago, their drug surveillance plane went down in the wilderness. They survived the crash, but FARC took them hostage--eager to use them as pawns in its war of terror against a democratic government.

Over the weekend, the Americans released a joint statement: “We want to offer our heartfelt thanks to the Government and the Armed Forces of Colombia. The operation they conducted to rescue us was one for the history books--something we will never forget for the rest of our lives. Colombia is a great nation with a great people, and the struggle they have endured with the FARC for more than 40 years is a shining testament to their great spirit: like the loved ones here with us now, they never gave up in the belief that human kindness and decency would ultimately prevail."

The rescue effort is a triumph for human rights: Today, 15 people who had suffered in jungle prisons have their freedom.

The sad irony is that the protectionist groups would like us to believe that Colombia is bitterly hostile to human rights--and therefore shouldn’t be rewarded with passage of the Colombia Free Trade Agreement.

Personally, I do not believe Congress should pass any free-trade agreement simply as a “thank-you" note to another country. These deals deserve approval only if they can stand on their own merits.

The good news is that the Colombia FTA does that – it makes economic common sense. The current one-way market access that favors Colombia will be changed, opening a market of nearly 50 million people to a wide-range of American-produced goods and services. Immediately, we would gain full access to Colombia for the sale of high-quality beef, wheat, cotton, soybeans; fruit such as apples, cherries, peaches, and pears; and processed food products like frozen French fries and cookies. Other barriers would fall as well with no agricultural products excluded from tariff reduction.

A decade ago, Colombia was a deeply troubled nation, torn by violence and rebellion. In 2000, however, President Clinton and a Republican-controlled Congress worked on a bipartisan basis to help the Colombians fight drug traffickers and revolutionaries, who were often the same people. That support, combined with the election of Alvaro Uribe as president in 2002, has made a huge difference: homicides, terrorist attacks, and kidnappings have dropped significantly.

So has violence against trade unionists--the ostensible concern of some of the more vocal opponents of the trade accord. Statistics vary, but the murder of trade unionists has fallen by at least 79 percent and possibly more. Today, trade unionists are actually less likely to be murdered than ordinary Colombian citizens, according to the New York Times.

So the truth is, the heroic hostage rescue is a success story within a success story. It’s time for Congress to approve the Colombia Free Trade Agreement.

http://www.truthabouttrade.org/content/view/12046/

By tasco66 on Jul 11, 2008, 06:02 in Politics & the war.

tasco66 says on Jul 11, 2008, 06:03:

The rescue mission comes at a time when protectionists in the United States have been accusing Colombia of human-rights abuses because they don’t want Congress to approve a free-trade agreement. What will they say now that Colombians have risked their lives on behalf of American citizens?

Good question

Bravo, Presidente Uribe for the perfect operation!

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august says on Jul 11, 2008, 06:48:

Probably that that the successful rescue doesn´t negate the existence of human rights problems in Colombia.

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miamimike says on Jul 11, 2008, 09:37:

August, exactly. The FTA will get passed in good time when the deaths of all those News Reporters and trade Unionists are fully investigated and the Perps are brought justice. The Trade accord has been lopsided in Col's favor for 17 years now, so why the big hurry now?

My Avatar-- Sarah Palin Says " "You know the difference between a pit bull and a hockey mom?? Lipstick!" Now on a Short Verbal Tether by the Honorable John McCain

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Lcacique says on Jul 11, 2008, 10:59:

tasco66:

Most people are not accusing Colombia of human rights abuses because they do not want to see the FTA pass, they are accusing Colombia of human rights abuses because they want the country to improve itself in this respect. Long before talks of an FTA, many US politicians were making these exact claims and voicing their concern about links (both direct and indirect) between the Colombian military and the paras. Hell, we briefly suspended aid years ago because of human rights abuses committed by the Colombian military; therefore, this is nothing new. And it is troubling that several sources are claiming that human rights abuses committed by the Colombian military are on the rise. Whether it is true or not, if there are any human rights abuses being committed by the armed forces it is too many. They are meant to protect and serve.

And in accord with august and miamimike, I don't quite follow your logic. If someone killed one of your close relatives then saved someone else on another occasion, would you overlook the fact that they murdered your relative? I do not know anything about the histories of the soldiers that rescued the hostages; however, as grateful as I am to them for their admirable rescue mission, if one of them was found guilty of human rights abuses I would expect him/her to be punished accordingly. In addition, I would not even consider the fact that he/she took part in saving the hostages when determining a fitting punishment because (guess what?) that is what is expected of a soldier. It is his/her duty to serve and protect.

Hoy se nota en la floresta un ambiente de alegría. ¡Y el rumor de ranchería es mas dulce y sabe a fiesta!

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lpdiver says on Jul 11, 2008, 15:48:

I do not believe that the risk that was incurred (and of course there WAS risk) for the benefits of the Americans. Rather it is a case of "Collateral Salvage" it was just convienient.

ts

"cook some rice!"

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dwmte7 says on Jul 11, 2008, 15:58:

good points, guys....very good.

the colombian govt needs to take a long cold look at this issue and address it. it's gone on for so long it's like almost forgotten.

if all the public wants is glory days like ingrids and the others rescue, they're in for some long cold nights. ain't gonna be much more like that. but if they want to feel safe at the hands of the military and the police...which they don't...they need to address and address seriously these issues so that colombia can really be a member of the developed world.

regardless the high level of art, culture, music, philosophy, etc. without a civil and trustworthy police and military, they will remain in the dark ages, so to speak as a developing third world country

dwmte

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miamimike says on Jul 12, 2008, 02:34:

And in accord with august and miamimike,I don't quite follow your logic
====================================================
What part of my post is unclear? Seems pretty straight forward to me,,,

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Papi de Alejo says on Jul 12, 2008, 06:26:

Mike, I think that he's saying that he agrees with you and August, He doesn't follow the logic of Tasco66. I too have to agree with the three of you. It's only a few years that Colombia has been in my consciousness but I think enought of it that I want the best for it. Can you imagine a Colombia without trade barriers; without a daily fear of whether you will live; with everyone contributing their part without fear of retribution from someone who disagrees with them. Such a Colombia could be a powerhouse of South America or of the world.

I don't believe that the US pols who are opposed to the FTA expect things to change tomorrow. All I have seen is a desire to see the government of Colombia engaged in the investigations with at the bare minimum an inclination to correct something that should have been dealt with years ago.

PdA

PdA

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dwmte7 says on Jul 12, 2008, 10:36:

and they need serious work on this trade agreement,or else it's another like we have with mexico...a one way street. where the mexicans can move their goods, property,services here, but it ain't the same moving ours there.

screw my beloved colombia if they aren't willing to give what they're asking for. i've moved my home and belongings back and forth from colombia and got fucked every time. last one cost me $7,500.00 us. bullshit with that. if they want it, give it.

dwmte

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Lcacique says on Jul 12, 2008, 11:02:

miamimike, I agreed with you as papi explained.

Hoy se nota en la floresta un ambiente de alegría. ¡Y el rumor de ranchería es mas dulce y sabe a fiesta!

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