[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 30 (Thursday, February 15, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1168-S1169]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    SENATE RESOLUTION 410--COMMEMORATING THE LIFE OF LUIS ALEJANDRO 
     ``ALEX'' VILLAMAYOR AND CALLING FOR JUSTICE AND ACCOUNTABILITY

  Mr. CARDIN (for himself and Mr. Van Hollen) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations:

                              S. Res. 410

       Whereas United States citizen Luis Alejandro ``Alex'' 
     Villamayor was born on July 3, 1998, to parents Puning Luk 
     Villamayor and Luis Felipe Villamayor in Rockville, Maryland;
       Whereas Alex Villamayor is remembered by his family as a 
     smart, loving, and compassionate young man with a good sense 
     of humor, who was committed to his parents, siblings, and 
     friends;
       Whereas Alex Villamayor moved with his family at the age of 
     six to Paraguay, where he was a devoted member of his church 
     and always had attention for those less fortunate;
       Whereas Alex Villamayor graduated with honors from 
     Paraguay's Pan American International School (PAIS) and was 
     accepted to attend Montgomery College in Maryland in the Fall 
     of 2015;
       Whereas Alex Villamayor aspired to study business 
     management and return to Paraguay to pursue a career that 
     would help and support the Paraguayan people;
       Whereas Alex Villamayor was murdered on June 27, 2015, in 
     the City of Encarnacion in Paraguay;
       Whereas Alex Villamayor's death was wrongfully ruled a 
     suicide by Paraguayan authorities before a comprehensive 
     investigation was carried out;
       Whereas, in the initial weeks of the investigation, 
     Paraguayan authorities failed to collect blood and DNA 
     samples from individuals present at the scene of the crime, 
     conduct gunshot residue analysis on individuals present at 
     the crime scene, and collect cellular phone records and data 
     from individuals present at the crime scene;
       Whereas, in August 2015, Alex Villamayor's body was exhumed 
     for additional forensic examination, which found that he had 
     been raped and physically assaulted prior to his death;
       Whereas, in August 2015, Paraguayan prosecutor Olga Wilma 
     Araujo Ayala was suspended from the investigation into and 
     legal case related to Alex Villamayor's death due to 
     mismanagement of the case;
       Whereas, in September 2015, Mathias Wilbs, an employee at 
     the property where Alex Villamayor was murdered, admitted in 
     a public interview that he had removed the murder weapon from 
     the crime scene and placed another firearm in Alex 
     Villamayor's hand;
       Whereas, in September 2015, Alex Villamayor's death was 
     ruled a homicide and Rene Hofstetter and Mathias Wilbs were 
     charged with crimes in relation to Alex Villamayor's murder;
       Whereas, in October 2015, Paraguayan authorities opened a 
     formal investigation of Alain Jacks Diaz de Bedoya for his 
     role in Alex Villamayor's murder;
       Whereas, in November 2016, Paraguayan authorities dropped 
     the charges against Alain Jacks Diaz de Bedoya related to 
     Alex Villamayor's murder;
       Whereas Members of the United States Congress have urged 
     the Government of Paraguay to invite the United States 
     Federal Bureau of Investigation to provide technical 
     assistance for the investigation into Alex Villamayor's death 
     and the United States Embassy in Asuncion, Paraguay has 
     offered such assistance to Paraguayan authorities;
       Whereas, to date, the Government of Paraguay has not 
     invited the Federal Bureau of Investigation to provide 
     technical assistance for the investigation into Alex 
     Villamayor's death;
       Whereas the United States embassy in Asuncion, Paraguay, 
     and the Department of State have not issued any formal public 
     statements about Alex Villamayor's murder and the many 
     irregularities in the investigation into his death;
       Whereas, in February 2017, outgoing United States 
     Ambassador Leslie A. Basset told media outlets that Alex 
     Villamayor ``died under dark circumstances'' and that ``the 
     investigation and the handling of this case has been 
     worrisome''; and
       Whereas, as of February 15, 2018, those responsible for 
     Alex Villamayor's murder have

[[Page S1169]]

     yet to be brought to justice; Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) commemorates the life of United States citizen Luis 
     Alejandro ``Alex'' Villamayor and offers condolences to his 
     family and friends;
       (2) expresses profound concern about the lack of justice 
     achieved in Alex Villamayor's case, more than two and one 
     half years after his rape and murder;
       (3) urges Paraguayan authorities to invite the Federal 
     Bureau of Investigation to provide technical assistance for 
     the investigation into Alex Villamayor's death;
       (4) calls on the Department of State to prioritize justice 
     for Alex Villamayor in its diplomatic engagement with the 
     Government of Paraguay; and
       (5) calls on the Department of State to review its 
     procedures for providing services to the families of United 
     States citizens slain or assaulted abroad.

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