Colombia Elections Update

Ted Lewis, director of human rights programs at Global Exchange, will discuss the role of international observer missions in Colombia in the context of violence, mass displacement, and the presence of armed illegal actors. He will speak at the Redwoods Presbyterian Church, 110 Magnolia Avenue, Larkspur on Friday, December 4 at 7:30 PM.
Colombia will hold national elections for members of congress early next year at a time when the government is rife with scandals. Over the last year, more than 83 members of the Colombian national congress have been indicted for affiliation with illegal paramilitary organizations financed by the drug trade. The disgraced members, mainly from the governing coalition of President Alvaro Uribe, represented a third of Colombia’s House and Senate seats. The penetration by paramilitary groups into the government heightens concerns for a free and fair election process in 2010.
This program is sponsored by The Task Force on the Americas. A $5-10 donation is requested. No one will be turned away for lack of funds. For more information, call 415/924-3227.