[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 101 (Tuesday, June 23, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Page S4549]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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SENATE RESOLUTION 208--EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE SENATE REGARDING THE 
REQUESTED RELEASE OF CONVICTED TERRORIST JUVENAL OVIDIO RICARDO PALMERA 
  PINEDA, ALSO KNOWN AS ``SIMON TRINIDAD'', FROM PRISON IN THE UNITED 
            STATES AS A PART OF THE COLOMBIAN PEACE PROCESS

  Mr. RUBIO submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
the Committee on Foreign Relations:

                              S. Res. 208

       Whereas the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People's 
     Army (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia--Ejercito 
     del Pueblo (FARC-EP) is a Marxist insurgency group engaged in 
     a bloody civil war with the Government of Colombia;
       Whereas FARC-EP has been designated a Foreign Terrorist 
     Organization by the Department of State since 1997;
       Whereas fighting between FARC-EP and the Government of 
     Colombia has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives, 
     including United States citizens, since 1964;
       Whereas multiple FARC-EP terrorist have been indicted, 
     captured, and extradited to the United States to face trial 
     for their crimes against United States citizens;
       Whereas Juvenal Ovidio Ricardo Palmera Pineda, also known 
     as ``Simon Trinidad'', joined FARC in the 1980s and later 
     became a rebel leader within the FARC-EP;
       Whereas, on February 13, 2003, a small Cessna airplane 
     carrying 5 people including a United States pilot named 
     Thomas Janis, a Colombian national, Luis Cruz, and 3 other 
     United States nationals, Marc Gonsalves, Keith Stansell, and 
     Thomas Howes, crashed in Southern Colombia;
       Whereas heavily armed FARC-EP guerrillas immediately 
     surrounded the plane and brutally executed Thomas Janis and 
     Luis Cruz, then took the other men hostage;
       Whereas, on April 27, 2003, the FARC-EP issued a communique 
     taking credit for the abduction of the three United States 
     nationals, made demands in exchange for the release of the 
     hostages, and appointed ``Simon Trinidad'' the spokesperson 
     and negotiator for the FARC-EP;
       Whereas ``Simon Trinidad'' was captured in Ecuador's 
     capital of Quito 8 months later on January 2, 2004;
       Whereas ``Simon Trinidad'' was convicted by a court in 
     Colombia for aggravated kidnapping and rebellion and 
     sentenced to 35 years in prison on May 4, 2004;
       Whereas ``Simon Trinidad'' was convicted by a United States 
     jury of plotting to hold 3 United States nationals hostage 
     after they were captured in Colombia, and was sentenced to 60 
     years in prison on January 28, 2008; and
       Whereas FARC-EP has reportedly named ``Simon Trinidad'' a 
     member of their Colombian peace negotiating team and made a 
     request for President Barack Obama to release him: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) opposes the FARC-EP's requested release of Juvenal 
     Ovidio Ricardo Palmera Pineda, also known as ``Simon 
     Trinidad'', who was convicted by a United States jury of 
     plotting to hold 3 United States nationals hostage after they 
     were captured in Colombia, and was sentenced to 60 years in 
     prison;
       (2) extends deepest sympathies to all family members of the 
     victims of FARC-EP atrocities; and
       (3) recognizes this type of action would send a negative 
     message to terrorists groups and undermines the United States 
     judicial system.

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