[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 127 (Tuesday, September 21, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Page S7232]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                COLOMBIA

  Mr. NELSON of Florida. Mr. President, I also wish to share some 
observations of a recent visit I made to another troubled part of the 
world. In Colombia, I witnessed a country transformed. I went there 
with our four-star commander, General Fraser of the U.S. Southern 
Command. We went to a former FARC base in southern Colombia, the little 
village of La Macarena. It is now a headquarters for the special 
operations forces of the Colombian military.
  It is interesting, this place out in the middle of the jungle, a 
violent narcotrafficking insurgency that had completely controlled this 
territory and had intimidated and terrorized the people. The FARC 
leadership used to hold press conferences under a large tree that is 
now in the middle of that Colombian military base.
  There are actually vacationers from around the world that are coming 
to a nearby stream that used to be the vacation destination for FARC 
leaders and their friends. Well, those days of the FARC controlling 
that part of Colombia are over. In recent years, the Colombian military 
has killed, captured, disarmed hundreds of FARC fighters, and those who 
remain are on the move.
  The FARC is not defeated, but they are certainly diminished. Just 
before General Fraser and I arrived, the military carried out another 
daring hostage rescue, raiding a FARC camp and freeing four Colombian 
hostages. Some of those had been in captivity for well over a decade. I 
met with the President of Colombia. He was the Defense Minister a 
couple years ago, before he was elected President, when they pulled off 
that miraculous deception that rescued the three American hostages who 
had been there for years in captivity with the FARC. Two of those three 
American hostages were from Florida.
  So the Colombians, with U.S. assistance, have transformed their 
military into a 21st century counterinsurgency force, and it has been 
very effective. They are even sending their forces now to help train 
the Mexican security forces, where there is so much trouble brewing.
  Since the time is drawing nigh, I will share at a later date the 
troubles that Mexico faces. It is substantial, with the 
narcotraffickers basically penetrating all levels of the Mexican 
Government but especially the local and State governments of Mexico. It 
is of enormous importance to the United States that we have success 
with our neighbors, our friends to the south, to be able to get control 
of their country just like the Colombians did as they diminished the 
FARC.
  I yield the floor.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Tennessee.
  Mr. CORKER. I ask unanimous consent to be recognized for up to 20 
minutes, to be followed by Senator Collins for 7.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.
  Mr. CORKER. If the Chair will let me know when I have 2 minutes 
remaining.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator will be notified.

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