[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 488 Introduced in House (IH)]
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117th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 488
Supporting a stable Colombia and opposing any threat to democracy in
Colombia.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 22, 2021
Mr. Diaz-Balart (for himself, Mr. Waltz, Mr. Gimenez, and Ms. Salazar)
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee
on Foreign Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Supporting a stable Colombia and opposing any threat to democracy in
Colombia.
Whereas Colombia is among the oldest standing democracies in Latin America;
Whereas the United States established diplomatic relations with Colombia in
1822;
Whereas Colombia is a constitutional republic where the people of Colombia hold
the power and elect representatives to exercise that power;
Whereas after many years of violence and armed conflict, in 2021 Colombia is the
strongest ally to the United States in Latin America;
Whereas with the support of the United States, Colombia has transformed itself
between 2001 and 2021 from a volatile and near-failed state into a rich
democracy with a growing free market economy;
Whereas May 15, 2022, will mark the 10-year anniversary of the entry into force
of the United States-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement, which has
supported economic growth and employment opportunities in both Colombia
and the United States;
Whereas the United States maintains support for Colombia in response to the
COVID-19 pandemic, including provision of excess vaccine doses to help
revitalize the economy of Colombia;
Whereas Presidential and legislative elections were held in Colombia in 2018,
and the people of Colombia elected Ivan Duque Marquez President in a
second round of elections that impartial international observers
considered free and fair and the most peaceful in decades;
Whereas the United States and Colombia share a commitment to promoting security,
prosperity, human rights, and democracy in Colombia and across the
Western Hemisphere;
Whereas, in recent years, the Government of Colombia has taken courageous steps
to enforce the law, stop drug traffickers, and rein in foreign terrorist
organizations like the National Liberation Army (referred to in this
preamble as the ``ELN'') and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia
(referred to in this preamble as the ``FARC'');
Whereas the United States continues to support the efforts of the Government of
Colombia for peace, including protection of vulnerable populations such
as indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities, support for human rights
defenders, provision of greater educational opportunities, increases in
public and private investments, especially in rural areas, and respect
for human rights and the rule of law;
Whereas the United States maintains a strong commitment to cooperating with the
Government of Colombia to investigate, arrest, and prosecute members of
transnational criminal organizations and to dismantle terrorist groups
like the ELN, the FARC, and Hezbollah, whose illicit activities,
specifically narcotrafficking, devastate the citizens of Colombia and
Latin America;
Whereas, since 2016, the United States has provided more than $1,000,000,000 in
direct and indirect support to peace implementation in Colombia;
Whereas Colombia is an essential partner of the United States in continuing
efforts to support the courageous people of Venezuela in their fight for
freedom, democracy, and economic prosperity against the dictatorship of
Nicolas Maduro by generously hosting and providing aid to nearly
1,800,000 citizens of Venezuela as of June 2021 and by providing them
essential services such as healthcare and education;
Whereas, in February 2021, President Ivan Duque Marquez issued temporary
protective status with work authorization to citizens of Venezuela
living in Colombia;
Whereas the leadership of the Government of Colombia during the humanitarian
crisis in Venezuela has been critical in organizing regional support for
Interim President Juan Guaido, as well as in denouncing the dictatorship
of Maduro and helping implement policies to isolate his narcoterrorist
regime, specifically through the Lima Group and the Organization of
American States;
Whereas the security situation in Colombia has improved significantly between
2000 and 2021, but the migrant influx from Venezuela and the economic
effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have hurt the economy of Colombia,
creating unique challenges for Colombia that demand action and support
from strong democratic allies like the United States;
Whereas freedom of speech, freedom to peacefully assemble, and other human
rights are inalienable, and any acts of excess force against peaceful
protesters should be condemned and investigated; and
Whereas enemies of freedom, such as the Communist regime of Raul Castro in Cuba
and the Maduro regime in Venezuela, exploit and abuse the vulnerable and
individuals simply asking for their voices to be heard by promoting
violent unrest, vandalism, and destruction of property: Now, therefore,
be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) declares its firm commitment to Colombia, the strongest
ally of the United States in Latin America;
(2) opposes any effort to undermine the democracy or
sovereignty of Colombia;
(3) encourages the international community to stand for
democracy in Colombia and to condemn any efforts to undermine
that democracy;
(4) condemns any regime in any country, such as Cuba,
Venezuela, or Iran, that gives aid to terrorist groups in
Colombia by providing training, weapons, or funding, or by
hosting those groups within the borders of the country;
(5) strongly condemns the terrorist attack perpetrated on
June 15, 2021, and attributed to the National Liberation Army
by the Duque administration, against the military base of the
30th Army Brigade of Colombia in Cucuta, Colombia, the
northeastern border city near Venezuela, where United States
soldiers were present, at least 36 people were injured, and
infrastructure of the military base was destroyed;
(6) condemns any blockade of essential goods and services,
including imports or transports of medicine or food, and
strongly condemns all violence or attacks against innocent
citizens of Colombia or their private property or businesses;
(7) recognizes that a stable and prosperous Colombia serves
United States interests in Latin America; and
(8) reemphasizes the shared democratic values of Colombia
and the United States through free and fair elections with the
peaceful participation of all political leaders and parties,
accompanied by credible local and international observers,
including in the Presidential elections in Colombia in 2022.
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