IMET assistance provides training for the Colombian military, including a strong emphasis on human rights, the observance of which is central to our support for the military and police.

About $1.4 million in planned IMET assistance for Colombian police and military units involved in narcotics operations was canceled by Colombia's narcotics decertifications in 1996 and 1997. According to the General Acing Office (GAO), "this includes approximately $800,000 in fiscal year 1996 funds that were canceled due to decertification. The $600,000 in fiscal year 1997 funds had to be canceled [despite being released in August by a presidential waiver] because the funding was released too late in the fiscal year for Colombia to adequately meet its training needs. ... The canceled training for Colombian police and military officials in U.S. schools was in a variety of areas, including human rights."²

IMET courses taken by Colombian personnel, 2001:³

Funding amounts and numbers of students may not match the numbers indicated in the table on the main IMET page. This owes to (1) discrepancies between two Department of Defense source documents, and/or (2) the possibility that some students took more than one course.