[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 36 (Friday, March 25, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[Congressional Record: March 25, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
EXTENDING CONDOLENCES TO THE PEOPLE OF MEXICO
Mr. FORD. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate
proceed to consideration of Senate Resolution 198, a resolution
submitted earlier today by Senator Dodd extending condolences to the
people of Mexico on the tragic death of Luis Donaldo Colosio; that the
resolution and the preamble be agreed to; the motions to reconsider be
laid on the table en bloc; and that any statements appear in the Record
at the appropriate place.
The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so ordered.
So the resolution (S. Res. 198) was agreed to.
The preamble was agreed to.
The resolution, with its preamble, is as follows:
S. Res. 198
Whereas Luis Donaldo Colosio was selected by the
Institutional Revolutionary Party to be its official
candidate for the August Presidential elections in Mexico;
Whereas Mr. Colosio had ably served the people of Mexico as
a government official in the administration of President
Carlos Salinas de Gortari; and had demonstrated during his
tenure as Secretary of Social Development a compassion for
the underprivileged and an understanding of the need for
economic and political reforms in order to better meet the
aspirations of all of the people of Mexico;
Whereas Mr. Colosio had demonstrated that he was among the
most progressive and promising leaders of his country;
Whereas, on March 23, during a campaign event in Tijuana in
the presence of more than one thousand people, Mr. Colosio
was savagely shot and killed;
Whereas today the people of Mexico are mourning the tragic
and untimely death of Mr. Colosio: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate, That it
(1) condemns this senseless act of violence;
(2) joins with President Clinton in extending the
condolences of the American people to the people of Mexico,
and most especially to the Colosio family, who have all
endured a devastating and terrible loss; and
(3) pledges the full and unequivocal support of the United
States to the government and people of Mexico during this
difficult and trying time.
Mr. DODD. Mr. President, this resolution is designed to let our
friends in Mexico know that we understand the grief and sorrow
inflicted upon them as a result of the tragic death of Luis Donaldo
Colosio.
The assassination of this rising political star--the candidate of his
party in Mexico's upcoming Presidential elections--touches all of us.
Luis Donaldo Colosio was a very gifted and talented public servant,
and his cold-blooded murder robs Mexico--indeed it robs all of the
nations of the Western Hemisphere--of one of its most prominent and
promising political leaders.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the Colosio family and with the
people of Mexico.
Mr. President, I hope this resolution will be adopted without further
delay.
Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I am proud to cosponsor the resolution
offered by the Senator from Connecticut and I thank him for his
leadership on this issue.
Our Nation knows all too well the pain of political violence. On
behalf of all Californians, I want to send my heartfelt condolences to
the family of Luis Donaldo Colosio, and to all those who put their
faith in him.
I want to commend President Carlos Salinas de Gortari for the
leadership he has shown during this crisis. A tragedy of this magnitude
shakes a people's confidence in their government. President Salinas'
statements that the criminal act of a deranged individual must not
derail a democracy are exactly on point.
I also want to thank President Clinton for his actions in response to
the assassination. As he discussed in his news conference last night,
the President took immediate steps to stabilize the Mexican peso and
prevent a financial panic.
Finally, I want to thank my constituents in California for the
sympathy that they have shown the family of Luis Donaldo Colosio and
the support that they have shown the Mexican Government. I was struck
this afternoon by an article that appeared in today's Fresno Bee
entitled ``Fresnans Concerned In Assassination Wake.'' The article
described how Mexican Consul General Gabriel Garcia Perez returned to
his Fresno office from Tijuana to the calls of support of hundreds of
shocked and saddened Fresnans.
That is part of the California spirit, Mr. President. We will not
abandon our neighbors to the south in their hour of need.
Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, I rise to join my colleague, Senator
Dodd, on offering a resolution that would extend condolences of the
American people to the people of Mexico on the tragic death of Luis
Donaldo Colosio.
As you know, on March 23, Luis Donaldo Colosio was assassinated as he
spoke to a crowd as the newly chosen candidate of the Institutional
Revolutionary Party. Well on his way to becoming the next President of
Mexico, his loss is a tragic one for the people of Mexico as well as
for the people of the United States.
As Secretary of Social Development in the Salinas cabinet, he
demonstrated his commitment for the underprivileged of Mexico. A leader
in his party, he demonstrated the need to continue the economic and
political reforms introduced by the current administration of President
Salinas.
We would like to commend President Clinton in taking swift action in
denouncing this senseless act of violence and in extending condolences
to the family of Luis Donaldo Colosio and the people of Mexico. We join
the President in maintaining our confidence in the Mexican Government
and in maintaining our new economic partnership with the people of
Mexico.
The State of New Mexico has always shared a long historical and
cultural connection with Mexico. In the age of NAFTA, we as a country
are in the process of extending that relationship to one of trade and
economic exchange. This is an era of economic development and political
reform for the people of Mexico. The untimely loss of such a talented
and socially conscious leader is one that is felt by both our nations.
Mr. President, this resolution joins President Clinton in extending
the condolences of the American people to the people of Mexico in their
time of loss. In extending our understanding of losing a young and
talented leader, may it serve to strengthen the new relationship
between our two nations.
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