[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 502 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 502

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives congratulating the 
people of Colombia for completing free and democratic elections on June 
   21, 1998, congratulating the President-elect on his victory, and 
  calling on the new government and all other parties to the current 
 conflict in Colombia to renew their efforts to end the guerrilla and 
   paramilitary violence which continues to pose a serious threat to 
    democracy as well as economic and social stability in Colombia.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 15, 1998

  Mr. Gallegly (for himself and Mr. Ackerman) submitted the following 
   resolution; which was referred to the Committee on International 
                               Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives congratulating the 
people of Colombia for completing free and democratic elections on June 
   21, 1998, congratulating the President-elect on his victory, and 
  calling on the new government and all other parties to the current 
 conflict in Colombia to renew their efforts to end the guerrilla and 
   paramilitary violence which continues to pose a serious threat to 
    democracy as well as economic and social stability in Colombia.

Whereas on June 21, 1998, close to eleven million Colombians went to the polls 
        in a clear affirmation of the democratic process and cast their vote for 
        a new President to lead that nation into the next century;
Whereas the citizens of Colombia, in voting in near record numbers, not only 
        cast their vote for political, economic, and social reform, they voted 
        for a mandate for peace, expressing their discontent with the guerrilla 
        war and paramilitary violence and for the need for the government to try 
        to resolve the conflict;
Whereas an estimated 70,000 people have died as a direct result of the internal 
        fighting over the last decade which has resulted in the deaths 
        associated with the guerrilla and paramilitary violence as being the 
        leading cause of death in Colombia;
Whereas the recent surge of guerrilla and paramilitary violence has created more 
        than 300,000 refugees over the last three years and an estimated total 
        of over 1,000,000 Colombians displaced by the violence over the past 
        decade;
Whereas in the past eight months, paramilitary death squads have massacred close 
        to 100 civilians in the towns of Mapiripan, Miraflores and elsewhere;
Whereas the operations of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), the 
        National Liberation Army (ELN) and the various paramilitary units have 
        become increasingly dependent on and interconnected with the narcotics 
        trade;
Whereas the FARC, the last known group to be holding three United States 
        missionaries hostage, refuses to release these innocent individuals or 
        account for their whereabouts; and
Whereas the continued campaign of the guerrillas and the paramilitaries 
        ultimately poses a major threat to the very democracy of Colombia and 
        stability of the region: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) congratulates the people of Colombia for their recent 
        demonstration of support for the democratic process as well as 
        for political, economic and social change in that nation;
            (2) congratulates President-elect Andres Pastrana for his 
        election victory and for his commitment to seek an end to the 
        guerrilla and paramilitary violence in Colombia;
            (3) urges the guerrilla leaders of the FARC and the ELN to 
        end the violence, sever their relationship with narcotics 
        traffickers, and negotiate a peace accord with the new 
        Government of Colombia and take their agenda into the political 
        arena for debate;
            (4) urges the incoming government of President-elect 
        Pastrana to take greater action against paramilitary units that 
        commit gross human rights violations;
            (5) calls on the leadership of the FARC and the ELN to 
        release any and all hostages currently being held, including 
        the three American missionaries, or to account for their 
        whereabouts;
            (6) calls upon the international community to play a more 
        proactive role in trying to resolve the internal conflict by 
        encouraging all sides to return to the negotiating table; and
            (7) urges the current United States Administration to 
        reevaluate United States policies toward Colombia, to commit to 
        assist the new President-elect to find a peaceful resolution to 
        the internal conflict, and to review the need for United States 
        assistance to help strengthen political stability and foster 
        economic growth.
                                 <all>