Senators belonging to Colombia's governing coalition on Tuesday prevented the mother of a 14-year-old girl, who allegedly was raped by two U.S. soldiers, to speak before Congress.
The woman had been invited to the Senate by opposition Senator Gustavo Petro. The lawmaker wanted the mother to tell her story and demonstrate what can happen when foreign military personnel is granted immunity from prosecution. Such immunity will be included in the pact between the U.S. and Colombia that will allow the U.S. to conduct counternarcotics operations from Colombian soil.
However, senators of the Conservative Party, Unidad Cristiana (Christian Unity) and Colombia Viva, filed petitions to postpone the sessions, tried to disallow the woman to talk and interrupted with claims that the country's largest rebel group FARC is guilty of sex crimes too.
Petro accused the coalition of silencing the woman and revealed unknown persons tried to assassinate the woman after filing a complaint at the Prosecutor General's Office in Bogota for the alleged rape.
The woman and her daughter lived in Melgar, Tolima, close to where U.S. soldiers were stationed. She claims her then 12-year-old daughter was raped by U.S. Army sergeant Michael Cohen and now retired soldier Cesar Ruiz.
Petro denounced the U.S. military for enjoying impunity and stated that the two rape suspects have so far not been called before any court or tribunal to respond for their actions.
The Senator announced that he will again insist on allowing the the woman to speak during next week's Senate session.
Jim Hadstate
said:
 |
... Well, well, well. The thugs of El NarcoPresidente don't want the truth told. What a surprise. It is wonderful that the Huffington Post picked up this story. Maybe more people in the US will learn the truth about what passes as acceptable behavior by US military personnel in foreign countries.  |
Jose
said:
|
... Don't be ridiculous. Yes, our Armed Forces members commit crimes all over the world, and it is fortunately a small minority that do. But I would not say that the President of Colombia is responsible for denying this young girl the opportunity to speak. What is responsible, is that country's desperate need for a stable, friendly relationship with this country. Almost no governmental office wants to appear critical of the US. I remember when I was in the service in 1992 and these 4 guys who were in my starship in Fort Benning, had murdered a German Taxi driver and they had fallen under SOFA, they went to Jail and they all got life in Levenworth. I'm pretty sure that this is the same deal, and those men will be prosecuted without much fanfare. |
Jim Hadstate
said:
|
... Gladly. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/08/12/colombia-senators-prevent_n_257285.html Jim Hadstate |
lampltr
said:
|
... Jim, you need to get a clue bro, what century are you living in?...."to speak before Congress" is not the time or the place to hold a trial. These guys will be tried under the UCMJ (Uniformed Code of Military Justice) and will definitely be held accountable for their actions. They are in the capacity representing the USA and this will not be tolerated. Look at those soldiers a few years ago that gang raped an underage Japanese girl, what happened to them? The issue became very political and the U.S. came close to losing all the bases in Okinawa and being ejected from Japan as a whole. |
