U$ imperialism dealing drugs, aiding murder in Colombia

July 8 20 hooded paramilitaries executed six men in the Colombian 
municipality of San Jose de Apartado and told the remaining 
residents they had to leave the area while an army helicopter 
hovered over the village. Colombian soldiers have been seen 
marching through the area with paramilitaries and threatening 
residents with attacks because the residents set up a "Peace 
Community" demanding they be left out of the armed conflict.

On July 13 President Clinton signed a bill giving $1.3 billion in 
mostly military aid to Colombia. The Colombian military has long 
backed the paramilitaries, which torture and massacre the 
Colombian people. But as an important strategic neo-colony for 
u.s. imperialism, the united states needs the Colombian military 
to maintain control of the country, keeping it safe for 
capitalism. The money will be used mostly to fund military units 
assigned to "anti-drug" work.

The same day the military aid to Colombia was approved, U$ army 
colonel James C. Hiett was convicted of covering up his wife's 
heroin smuggling through diplomatic mail from Bogota to New York 
City. Hiett was the u.s. military group commander in charge of all 
u.s. Army and anti-drug operations in Colombia when his wife was 
smuggling heroine from Colombia to the u.s. Hiett admits to using 
the money he knew his wife made from drug trafficking for personal 
expenses. He is expected to receive a retirement pension from the 
army starting in November.

Jorge Ayala, who worked as a chauffeur under Col. Hiett at theu.s. 
embassy in Colombia has come forward to allege that the drug 
smuggling goes beyond Hiett's wife and included a DEA official and 
u.s. Marine guards.

MIM is not surprised by the u.s. role in drug trafficking that is 
being exposed in Colombia. The U.$. government has dealt drugs for 
a longtime. Imperialism is a system built for the profit of the 
wealthy and powerful at the expense of the majority of the worlds 
people. Capitalists are not above dealing drugs; they support a 
system that gives no thought to the effect of their actions on 
other people. The U.$. imperialists support murderous 
paramilitaries and drug smuggling for the same reasons.

This is why MIM advocates communism. A system built for the good 
of all people, not just to benefit a few, is the only sustainable 
system for the world.

Notes: Weekly News Update on the Americas, Issue #546. Nicaragua 
Solidarity Network of Greater New York. wnu@igc.org.