The statement made by Lawrence J. Haas that the promotion of freedom, democracy and human rights help to create a path to peace and prosperity in the world makes a lot of sense. His conclusion, however, that we should continue our current policy toward Colombia does not make any sense at all (“Obama, follow Bush on Latin America,” Commentary, Aug. 21).

Mr. Haas has praise for the Bush administration’s approach to Colombian President Alvaro Uribe because Colombia is “applying the rule of law to a once lawless land, prosecuting murderers and protecting human rights.”

The evidence seems to suggest otherwise. Mr. Haas is probably aware that Alvaro Uribe has been intimately involved with paramilitary forces in Colombia throughout his political career. Both Colombian and international human-rights organizations have repeatedly documented military-paramilitary collaboration, which led to the assassination or disappearance of an average of 1,060 persons a year between July 2002 and June 2005.

Amnesty International USA notes that “year after year, U.S. policy has ignored the evidence and the cries of U.N., Colombian and international nongovernmental organizations and the people of Colombia. Human rights will not improve until there is a fundamental shift in U.S. foreign policy.”

Instead of heeding the advice of Lawrence Haas that we continue the Bush administration’s policy in Colombia, I believe that the next administration would do well to heed the advice of Amnesty International.

It is important to examine the evidence of atrocities and to make the fundamental shift toward respecting human rights.

JIM CUMMINGS

West Kingston