[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 482 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 482

  Recognizing and celebrating the abolition of slavery more than 150 
 years ago in the Latin American countries of Mexico, Chile, Uruguay, 
  Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Argentina, Peru, and Venezuela, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 22, 2004

  Mr. Meeks of New York (for himself, Mrs. Christensen, Ms. Lee, Mr. 
Rush, Mr. Rangel, and Mr. Cummings) submitted the following concurrent 
   resolution; which was referred to the Committee on International 
                               Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
  Recognizing and celebrating the abolition of slavery more than 150 
 years ago in the Latin American countries of Mexico, Chile, Uruguay, 
  Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Argentina, Peru, and Venezuela, and for 
                            other purposes.

Whereas the institution of slavery was a key factor in the social, historical, 
        and economic development of a majority of the countries of Latin 
        America;
Whereas it is estimated that between 1518 and 1870 more than 5,000,000 enslaved 
        blacks from Africa were brought to Latin America;
Whereas Portugal brought the largest number of enslaved blacks from Africa to 
        Latin America, primarily to Brazil;
Whereas enslaved blacks formed the primary labor force in Latin American 
        countries and worked to produce sugar, tobacco, coffee, and other 
        products;
Whereas beginning in the 1820s and ending in the 1850s, the majority of Latin 
        American countries--Mexico, Chile, Uruguay, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, 
        Argentina, Peru, and Venezuela--abolished slavery and Brazil abolished 
        slavery in 1888;
Whereas many individuals and groups aided in the emancipation of enslaved blacks 
        in Latin America, including Zumbi of Brazil, who led enslaved blacks 
        against the Portuguese in Quilombo dos Palmares, Brazil; Juan Adresote, 
        who fought Spanish colonizers in Venezuela; Yanga, a Nigerian who was 
        brought to Mexico and enslaved, and who negotiated with Spanish 
        colonists in Mexico; and Benkos Bioho of Colombia, who helped to 
        establish a liberated community of former enslaved blacks in Colombia, 
        one of the first such communities in the Americas;
Whereas, even after the abolition of slavery in Latin American countries, former 
        enslaved blacks and their descendants were left victim to social and 
        institutional racial discrimination; and
Whereas, as a result of slavery in Latin America, the descendants of enslaved 
        blacks currently comprise approximately 30 percent of the population in 
        Latin American countries and continue to greatly impact the social, 
        political, and cultural environment in Latin America: Now, therefore, be 
        it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That Congress--
            (1) recognizes and celebrates the abolition of slavery more 
        than 150 years ago in the Latin American countries of Mexico, 
        Chile, Uruguay, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Argentina, Peru, 
        and Venezuela;
            (2) recognizes the social, political, and cultural 
        contributions of enslaved blacks and their descendants in Latin 
        America;
            (3) acknowledges the impact of slavery and the existence of 
        racial discrimination that have led to disparate social 
        conditions and lack of civil liberties in Latin America;
            (4) urges the United States Government to work with the 
        governments of Latin American countries to promote the 
        visibility of the descendants of enslaved blacks in such 
        countries and to recognize the importance of supporting 
        international and regional efforts to eliminate racial and 
        ethnic discrimination, such as the International Convention on 
        the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (signed 
        at New York on December 21, 1965); and
            (5) urges the countries of Latin America to work with the 
        United States and the international community to assist in 
        addressing poverty and other targets in accordance with the 
        United Nations Millennium Development Goals (as contained in 
        United Nations General Assembly Resolution 55/2 (September 
        2000)).
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