[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 34 (Wednesday, March 10, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E351]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           EXPRESSING CONDOLENCES TO CHILE EARTHQUAKE VICTIMS

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. SHEILA JACKSON LEE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, March 9, 2010

  Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. Madam Speaker. I rise in support of H. Res. 
1144, ``Expressing condolences to the families of the victims of the 
February 27, 2010, earthquake in Chile, as well as solidarity with and 
support for the people of Chile as they plan for recovery and 
reconstruction'' introduced by my distinguished colleague from Texas, 
Representative Hinojosa.
  As you know, on Saturday, February 27, 2010, a massive, 8.8 magnitude 
earthquake, one of the largest ever recorded, struck off of the coast 
of Chile. An estimated 2,000,000 people, including upwards of 1,500,000 
displaced persons, have been directly affected by the earthquake, the 
tsunami, and its aftermath. As the casualties continue to grow, there 
is a great deal of extensive damage to highways, bridges, apartments, 
and infrastructure, have led the government of Chile declaration of a 
`state of catastrophe.' Since the initial earthquake, there have been 
over 100 aftershocks, which include 8 aftershocks registering above a 
6.0 magnitude. These aftershocks continue to affect the coast and the 
rest of the country.
  According to the United States Geological Survey, Concepcion, Chile's 
second largest city, was 70 miles from the earthquake's epicenter and 
suffered some of the worst damage. Thousands of its residents initially 
remained cut-off from the remainder of the country without any basic 
necessities, such as running water and electricity. The coastal town of 
Dichato and its 4,000 residents were among the hardest hit and is 80 
percent destroyed. 80 percent of Talcahuano's 180,000 residents living 
on the Chilean coast were left homeless by the earthquake. Initial 
estimates of damages range from $15,000,000,000 to $30,000,000,000, and 
basic necessities across the country, including electricity, clean 
water access, telephone access, and communication systems continue to 
be restored on a progressive basis in many zones.
  Chile's stringent building codes, which one local architect called 
`our proud building standards,' as well as the Government of Chile's 
ability to implement them greatly mitigated the impact of this 
catastrophic natural event both in terms of casualties and physical 
damage to the infrastructure of this country. The Government of Chile 
has taken significant measures to maintain order and public security in 
the streets in order to prevent more widespread panic and chaos as 
damage assessments are made and relief is delivered.
  America is again responding, and will continue to respond with 
immediate humanitarian assistance to help the people of this struggling 
island nation rebuild their livelihoods. I send my condolences to the 
people and government of Chile as they grieve once again in the 
aftermath of a natural disaster. As Chile's neighbor, I believe it is 
the United States' responsibility to help Chile recover, and build the 
capacity to mitigate against future disasters.
  Throughout my time in Congress, I have been highly involved in 
strengthening the relationship between the U.S. and countries abroad. I 
have worked to establish positive and productive partnerships with 
local development officials, non-profit organizations, and various 
leaders to establish a strong web of support for countries abroad. In 
collaboration with the Congressional Black Caucus, I have been a 
continual advocate of providing assistance to various countries to 
strengthen their fragile democratic processes, continue to improve 
security, and promote economic development among other concerns such 
the protection of human rights, combating narcotics, arms, and human 
trafficking, addressing migration, and alleviating poverty.
  Once again, I am devastated by the immeasurable tragedy that occurred 
in Chile. Along with my colleagues, I hope to visit Chile in the near 
future to meet with their leaders and see what the United States can do 
to rebuild the shattered livelihoods.

                          ____________________