I
107TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1591
To prohibit the United States Government from providing financing for non-
governmental organizations or individuals to carry out military, law en-
forcement, armed rescue, or other related operations in the countries
of the Andean region, including any operations relating to narcotics
control efforts.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
APRIL 25, 2001
Ms. SCHAKOWSKY introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on International Relations
A BILL
To prohibit the United States Government from providing
financing for nongovernmental organizations or individ-
uals to carry out military, law enforcement, armed res-
cue, or other related operations in the countries of the
Andean region, including any operations relating to nar-
cotics control efforts.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Andean Region Con-
tractor Accountability Act’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) Hundreds of civilians, including many
United States citizens, are working with the military
and police forces of the Republic of Colombia and
other countries of the Andean region under con-
tracts between the United States Government and
several private corporations. The duties of such indi-
viduals include piloting drug-crop fumigation air-
craft, flying helicopters transporting army battal-
ions, serving as mechanics and logistics personnel,
assisting the reform of the security forces, per-
forming armed search-and-rescue missions, and
gathering aerial intelligence, among others.
(2) On February 18, 2001, United States con-
tractor personnel on a search-and-rescue mission in
the guerrilla-held zone of Curillo, in Colombia’s
Caqueta´ region, were involved in an exchange of fire
with members of Colombia’s FARC guerrilla groups,
raising concerns about force protection and prox-
imity to Colombia’s conflict.
(3) According to the Inspector General of the
Department of State, three United States contract
personnel have died while piloting spray planes over
Colombian territory since 1997.
(4) Contract personnel are being employed in
circumstances and locations in Colombia which, for
force protection reasons, would generally be off-lim-
its to uniformed United States personnel.
(5) Increasing use of private contract personnel
raises questions of accountability and transparency
in the management of United States policy toward
Colombia and other countries of the Andean region.
(6) On April 20, 2001, a plane operated by in-
nocent United States civilians conducting missionary
work was shot down in the airspace of the Republic
of Peru. The plane was targeted as a result of intel-
ligence sharing between Central Intelligence Agency-
contracted private military personnel and Peruvian
authorities. As a result, Veronica ‘‘Roni’’ Bowers,
age 35, and her 7-month old daughter Charity were
killed.
(7) Basic information about the extent of activi-
ties of private military contractors in Colombia and
in other countries of the Andean region is generally
unavailable to the public.
SEC. 3. PROHIBITION ON FINANCING OF PRIVATE MILI-
TARY, LAW ENFORCEMENT, OR ARMED RES-
CUE OPERATIONS IN ANDEAN REGION COUN-
TRIES.
(a) PROHIBITION.—Notwithstanding chapter 8 of
part I of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 or any other
provision of law, no officer or employee of the United
States Government may enter into a contract or other
agreement under which the United States Government
provides financing, in whole or in part, for a nongovern-
mental organization (including a corporation or other
business entity) or individual to carry out military, law
enforcement, armed rescue, or other related operations in
the countries of the Andean region, including any oper-
ations relating to narcotics control efforts.
(b) RULE
OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in sub-
section (a) shall be construed to prohibit the financing,
in whole or in part, for a nongovernmental organization
(including a corporation or other business entity) or indi-
vidual to carry out humanitarian activities, including the
delivery of food, in the countries of the Andean region.
SEC. 4. DEFINITION.
In this Act, the term ‘‘countries of the Andean re-
gion’’ means the Republic of Bolivia, the Federative Re-
public of Brazil, the Republic of Ecuador, the Republic