[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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