Members of the Ohio Working Group on Latin America, opposed to U.S. military aid to Colombia, have for some time sought a meeting with Senator Mike DeWine. Senator DeWine is a key Bush supporter of more military aid to Colombia, who has visited the beleaguered country three times.

On April 30, over 50 people rallied outside his Columbus office to call for a meeting. Ten people pressed the point with an office sit-in, demanding a fixed date and time for the meeting with their elected servant. DeWine was out of town, and had staff say he would to meet at some undetermined time, when he was in Columbus.

The activists rejected the brush-off, and were then whisked off to jail when they refused to just leave. They were jailed about 30 hours before release on bail. One woman settled for a small fine and 40 hours community service to clear her record before going to Colombia this summer. At their trial July 9, the judge dismissed the charge at the request of the City Prosecutor and Senator DeWine. Also, the Senator finally agreed to a face-to-face meeting with the activists next August 13.

For more information, contact the Ohio Working Group on Latin America via http://mahost.org/owgla or Mary Hershberger, (614)442-5915, mhershbe@capital.edu.