Legislative Advocacy

DJPC members and staff stay in touch with our legislators through letter-writing and visits to the offices of our Colorado Congressional delegation. We make sure they hear from people who support the rights of the poor in Latin America!

Advocacy and Nonviolent Activism Committee Update

Written by Amanda Miralrío, former Legislative Advocacy Intern

Dated: April 2009 from the Mustard Seed

The Advocacy Committee has been busy working to close the SOA/WHINSEC. School of the Americas Watch declared February 17^th a National Day of Action to close the SOA. The Advocacy Committee and DJPC members participated by visiting the offices of Senators Udall and Bennet and Representatives Perlmutter and Polis. Each participating group reported a positive experience and hopes that the visits will lead to good relations with those offices. Since the visits, DJPC has signed petitions asking Nicaragua to stop sending troops to the SOA and reminding Costa Rica to honor its promise to stop sending troops to the SOA.

Representative McGovern plans to introduce legislation to close the SOA/WHINSEC during the last week of April, so the Advocacy Committee is planning more legislative visits to remaining Colorado Representatives. If you are interested in attending these visits, please email legislative@denjustpeace.org.

Additional actions the Advocacy Committee has taken since January include:

• Sent over 50 postcards signed by DJPC members to be delivered to President Obama’s office advocating just policy toward Colombia. This was part of the April 20^th National Day of Action on Colombia in solidarity with the violently displaced citizens of Colombia.
• Sent a letter to the entire Colorado delegation asking that they support U.S. neutrality in the March 2009 Salvadoran presidential election.
• Signed a petition against terminating aid to Nicaragua in the form of the Millennium Challenge Account.
• Signed a petition to end anti-drug chemical spraying in the Amazon to prevent harm to the environment and humans in Colombia

The Advocacy Committee appreciates the support of all DJPC members in taking action on the issues of concern to the people of Latin America.  Please contact the office if you would like to become more involved in this work.