[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 965 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 965

  Condemning the actions and statements of Venezuelan president Hugo 
                          Rafael Chavez Frias.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            February 7, 2008

  Mr. Issa (for himself, Ms. Ros-Lehtinen, Mr. Royce, Mr. King of New 
York, Mr. Doolittle, Mr. Gallegly, Mrs. Biggert, Mr. Daniel E. Lungren 
  of California, Mr. Miller of Florida, Mr. Walberg, Mr. Bilbray, Ms. 
  Fallin, Mr. Kingston, Mr. Buyer, Mr. Wilson of South Carolina, Mr. 
  Keller of Florida, Mr. Sali, Mr. Pitts, Ms. Foxx, Mr. Rehberg, Mr. 
Pearce, Mr. Broun of Georgia, and Mr. Campbell of California) submitted 
   the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
                            Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Condemning the actions and statements of Venezuelan president Hugo 
                          Rafael Chavez Frias.

Whereas on May 14, 2007, for the second year in a row, the State Department 
        determined, pursuant to Section 40A of the Arms Export Control Act, that 
        Venezuela was not fully cooperating with United States in antiterrorism 
        efforts;
Whereas other uncooperative countries include state sponsors of terrorism, such 
        as Cuba, Iran, North Korea, and Syria;
Whereas State Department officials expressed concerns about groups and 
        individuals in Venezuela with links to terrorist organizations in the 
        Middle East;
Whereas Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez is seeking closer economic, military, 
        and diplomatic ties with Iran and North Korea;
Whereas in April 2006, the State Department asserted that the Chavez government 
        sought closer relations with Cuba and Iran in the agency's Country 
        Reports on Terrorism;
Whereas President Chavez persists with public criticism of the counterterrorism 
        efforts of the United States and publicly championed Iraqi terrorist and 
        insurgent groups;
Whereas the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the National 
        Liberation Army (ELN) are on the State Department's list of designated 
        foreign terrorist organizations;
Whereas President Chavez publicly claimed FARC and the ELN are not terrorist 
        groups, and defended their status as true armies that occupy real space 
        in their country;
Whereas the Chavez government allowed units of FARC and the ELN to cross into 
        Venezuela to rest and regroup with relative impunity;
Whereas the Chavez government allowed splinter groups of FARC and the United 
        Self Defense Forces of Colombia, known as the AUC, involved in drug 
        trafficking to operate in various parts of Venezuela;
Whereas terrorist groups in Colombia have been found to be in possession of 
        weapons belonging to official Venezuelan stocks and facilities; and
Whereas the Chavez government continues to remain indifferent to the activities 
        and movements of terrorist groups operating in Venezuela: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) expresses its support for the Venezuelan people and 
        their continued self-governance in an open, democratic form;
            (2) calls upon the Chavez government to immediately 
        implement measures to deny Venezuelan territory and weapons 
        from being used as resources by terrorist organizations;
            (3) urges the Chavez government to police its side of the 
        1,400 mile Venezuelan-Colombian border to prevent the movement 
        of groups of armed men and narco-terrorists;
            (4) encourages the Chavez government to cease its 
        supportive rhetoric toward anti-government guerilla movements 
        operating in neighboring countries and respect the sovereignty 
        of those democratic governments;
            (5) urges President Chavez to resume full cooperation with 
        the United States on counter-terror measures; and
            (6) calls upon the United States to examine the extent to 
        which Venezuela may be designated as a terrorist sanctuary, 
        defined as an area in the territory of a country that is used 
        by a terrorist or terrorist organization under a government 
        which expressly consents to, or with knowledge, allows, 
        tolerates, or disregards such use of its territory.
                                 <all>