Colombian Congress Will Hold Hearings About Immunity for U.S. Troops

Responding to the demands of the Colombian inspector general, the Colombian Congress will hold hearings reviewing the 1974 U.S.-Colombian diplomatic agreement affording U.S. troops in Colombia immunity from prosecution. Inspector General Edgarda Maya sent a letter dated May 20, 2005 to Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, arguing that the immunity conferred on U.S. soldiers by the 1974 agreement is invalid because it violates the Colombian Constitution. During the last three months seven U.S. soldiers have been arrested in two separate cases concerning arms smuggling and drug trafficking. At the end of March, five U.S. soldiers were detained for allegedly smuggling 35 tons of cocaine from the Apiay base to El Paso, Texas. At the beginning of May, Army Warrant Officer Allan Tanquary and Sgt. Jesus Hernandez were arrested close to the Tolemaida military base with approximately 40,000 rounds of ammunition that were allegedly intended for right-wing paramilitaries. Two of the detainees have been released, while the others are in the U.S. awaiting trial in military courts...[more]