COLOMBIA: US CITIZENS PROTEST AID On Jan. 17, a group of US citizens staged a protest and press conference in front of the US embassy in Bogota to express opposition to US military aid to Colombia. The protesters included professionals, students and activists connected with a number of US-based peace and human rights organizations. As part of the protest, members of the group laid fruit and flowers in front of the main gate to the fortress-like embassy. [Colombian Labor Monitor 1/17/01; Hoy (NY) 1/18/01 from AP] "We do not believe that helicopters will resolve the problem of poverty in Colombia, nor the great problem of drug addiction in the United States," said Witness for Peace representative Gail Phares. A wave of protests and other public events is expected in the US in the coming weeks, to draw attention to the role of the US government in escalating the conflict in Colombia. [CLM 1/17/01]
