Monday, August 22, 2005
Tell Congress to Maintain the Ban on IMET to Guatemala
Tell Congress to Maintain the Ban on IMET to Guatemala
Contact your representatives and senators and urge them to maintain the ban
on International Military Education and Training (IMET) in the final version
of the Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill.
In June, for the first time since 1990, the House of Representatives lifted
the ban on IMET to Guatemala. The Senate, however, maintained the ban in
its version of the Appropriations Bill. Congress is now in recess, and
staff from the House and Senate subcommittees are beginning to reconcile the
two versions of the bill. NOW is the time to contact your representatives
and senators to tell them to follow the Senate version of the Appropriations
Bill and ask that the ban on full IMET to Guatemala be maintained!
Guatemala has not yet made the substantive reforms necessary to justify a
removal of the ban on IMET. The Guatemalan military has yet to be held
accountable for its past abuses and continues to commit abuses against the
Guatemalan people. Resuming assistance now would reward the military for
continued human rights violations.
**CALL** the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 to reach the offices of
your senators and representative. When you’re transferred to the office, ask
to speak to or leave a message for the foreign policy staffer.
It is especially important to contact the members of the Senate and House
Foreign operations subcommittees (see below).
If you speak to the aide of a senator, thank him or her and urge continued
support of the maintainance of the ban in the final version of the
Appropriations Bill. If you are speaking to the aide of a congressional
representative, stress that now is not the time to lift the ban and urge
your member of Congress to adopt the Senate language in the final version of
the Bill. Be sure to remind your senator or representative that the
Guatemalan military continues to carry out unprovoked acts of violence against its own people. In 2004, the National Human Rights Movement reported 122 attacks against human rights defenders. Military intelligence structures are strongly implicated in these attacks.
Rep. Kolbe is largely responsible for lifting the IMET ban in the House
version. It is especially important that he hears from constituents about
Contact your representatives and senators and urge them to maintain the ban
on International Military Education and Training (IMET) in the final version
of the Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill.
In June, for the first time since 1990, the House of Representatives lifted
the ban on IMET to Guatemala. The Senate, however, maintained the ban in
its version of the Appropriations Bill. Congress is now in recess, and
staff from the House and Senate subcommittees are beginning to reconcile the
two versions of the bill. NOW is the time to contact your representatives
and senators to tell them to follow the Senate version of the Appropriations
Bill and ask that the ban on full IMET to Guatemala be maintained!
Guatemala has not yet made the substantive reforms necessary to justify a
removal of the ban on IMET. The Guatemalan military has yet to be held
accountable for its past abuses and continues to commit abuses against the
Guatemalan people. Resuming assistance now would reward the military for
continued human rights violations.
**CALL** the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 to reach the offices of
your senators and representative. When you’re transferred to the office, ask
to speak to or leave a message for the foreign policy staffer.
It is especially important to contact the members of the Senate and House
Foreign operations subcommittees (see below).
If you speak to the aide of a senator, thank him or her and urge continued
support of the maintainance of the ban in the final version of the
Appropriations Bill. If you are speaking to the aide of a congressional
representative, stress that now is not the time to lift the ban and urge
your member of Congress to adopt the Senate language in the final version of
the Bill. Be sure to remind your senator or representative that the
Guatemalan military continues to carry out unprovoked acts of violence against its own people. In 2004, the National Human Rights Movement reported 122 attacks against human rights defenders. Military intelligence structures are strongly implicated in these attacks.
Rep. Kolbe is largely responsible for lifting the IMET ban in the House
version. It is especially important that he hears from constituents about
