U.S. Says No Aid for Colombian Army Units Involved in Civilian Killing Scandal

Reuters reports that three Colombian army units had their right to U.S. military aid revoked after officers and soldiers were implicated in a growing scandal over the killing of civilians, a senior U.S. official said on Thursday.

President Alvaro Uribe has fired more than two dozen officers, and his army commander resigned, over charges troops were involved in executing 11 young men to present them as enemy combatants and inflate their body count in the country’s long guerrilla war.

The scandal makes Colombia’s proposed free trade deal and multibillion dollar U.S. aid package to fight insurgents and drug traffickers even more likely to face tougher scrutiny when President-elect Barack Obama takes office. Obama and Democratic leaders want Colombia to do more to protect labor leaders from attacks before any trade deal can be approved. Further, U.S. Democrats want new aid to focus more on economic development projects instead of military financing. The U.S. sends around $600 million a year to Colombia — the largest amount sent to any country outside the Middle East.

U.S. law requires army units or individuals to be reviewed before receiving aid. The U.S. official said there is credible evidence of rights violations by about 15% of Colombia’s armed forces, making them ineligible for assistance.

Human rights groups have long said Uribe’s drive against rebels has spurred abuses and illegal executions, especially in rural areas where the government’s presence is still weak and armed groups fight over cocaine routes. But Uribe, who is popular for his security campaign, says the military purge shows his government is more concerned about rights abuses than previous administrations.

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