Update on US Support for Colombia

John Glaser, August 01, 2011

Last week’s post on U.S. support for atrocities in Colombia was unfortunately vague on exactly how much tangible support we give, and if you heard my conversation with Scott Horton on Antiwar Radio I drastically misspoke when I tried to recall annual U.S. aid to Colombia. To clarify, the U.S. has given almost $3 billion to the Colombian government since 2007, making it one of the highest recipients even compared to Middle Eastern tyrannies. For fiscal year 2012, over $400 million is allocated to Colombia.

Of course, this is merely in addition to the billions of dollars military and law enforcement training, arms and equipment sales, etc., data for which can be viewed here, with official U.S. documentation.

For additional reading on an issue left out of my previous post (that is, besides rising massacres of the civilian population, elaborate and embedded government corruption and collusion with paramilitaries, support for a military that dressed slaughtered innocents in enemy clothing in response to official policy, perpetuating the underground drug trade, chemical warfare, etc.) see this report reviewing widespread illegal spying practices by Colombia’s intelligence agencies.



8 Responses to “Update on US Support for Colombia”

  1. The Hypocrisy of Criticizing Iran for Supporting Terrorism « Antiwar.com Blog
    August 2nd, 2011 at 9:57 am

    [...] who accumulate the highest civilian casualty rates in the war). In Colombia, the U.S. is not only funding and arming paramilitary terrorist groups with atrocious human rights violations, but is also [...]

  2. The Hypocrisy of Criticizing Iran for Supporting Terrorism « The Ugly Truth
    August 5th, 2011 at 6:06 am

    [...] insurgent groups deemed terrorists by the U.S. government. In Colombia, the U.S. is not only funding and arming paramilitary terrorist groups with atrocious human rights violations, but is also [...]

  3. Media Subservience: Ignoring The Crimes of America « Antiwar.com Blog
    August 8th, 2011 at 7:05 am

    [...] in Bahrain. Hardly any Americans know about the terror war being fought in their name in Colombia and all the violence and tragedy that results, or about the hundreds of thousands of innocents killed [...]

  4. Corporatist Drug War Foreign Policy « Antiwar.com Blog
    August 17th, 2011 at 10:04 am

    [...] Update on US Support for Colombia [...]

  5. The Post’s Selective Indictment of US Colombia Policy « Antiwar.com Blog
    August 22nd, 2011 at 7:36 am

    [...] in Colombia supported by the US: the illegal spying and surveillance regime that I referenced here almost a month ago. American cash, equipment and training, supplied to elite units of the Colombian [...]

  6. ‘Guatamala is an embryonic Colombian situation’ « Antiwar.com Blog
    August 24th, 2011 at 8:35 am

    [...] posts about US policy towards Colombia illustrate how the drug war has served as a pretext for supporting [...]

  7. biomass pellet
    November 17th, 2011 at 7:03 pm

    it one of the highest recipients even compared to Middle Eastern tyrannies. For fiscal year 2012, over $400 million is allocated to Colombia.

  8. mole remover
    January 3rd, 2012 at 4:59 am

    I appreciate spending some time to talk about that, I believe firmly regarding this and so really enjoy understanding more about this kind of subject.Keep up the good work!