[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 106 (Thursday, June 17, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4633-S4634]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SENATE RESOLUTION 280--SUPPORTING A STABLE COLOMBIA AND OPPOSING ANY 
                    THREAT TO DEMOCRACY IN COLOMBIA

  Mr. SCOTT of Florida (for himself and Mr. Cruz) submitted the 
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
Relations :

                              S. Res. 280

       Whereas Colombia is among the oldest standing democracies 
     in Latin America;
       Whereas the United States established diplomatic relations 
     with Colombia in 1822;
       Whereas Colombia is a constitutional republic where the 
     people of Colombia hold the power and elect representatives 
     to exercise that power;
       Whereas, after many years of violence and armed conflict, 
     in 2021 Colombia is the strongest ally to the United States 
     in Latin America;
       Whereas, with the support of the United States, Colombia 
     has transformed itself between 2001 and 2021 from a volatile 
     and near-failed state into a rich democracy with a growing 
     free market economy;
       Whereas May 15, 2022, will mark the 10-year anniversary of 
     the entry into force of the United States-Colombia Trade 
     Promotion Agreement, which has supported economic growth and 
     employment opportunities in both Colombia and the United 
     States;
       Whereas the United States maintains support for Colombia in 
     response to the COVID-

[[Page S4634]]

     19 pandemic, including provision of excess vaccine doses to 
     help revitalize the economy of Colombia;
       Whereas presidential and legislative elections were held in 
     Colombia in 2018, and the people of Colombia elected Ivan 
     Duque Marquez president in a second round of elections that 
     impartial international observers considered free and fair 
     and the most peaceful in decades;
       Whereas the United States and Colombia share a commitment 
     to promoting security, prosperity, human rights, and 
     democracy in Colombia and across the Western Hemisphere;
       Whereas, in recent years, the Government of Colombia has 
     taken courageous steps to enforce the law, stop drug 
     traffickers, and rein in foreign terrorist organizations like 
     the National Liberation Army (referred to in this preamble as 
     the ``ELN'') and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia 
     (referred to in this preamble as the ``FARC'');
       Whereas the United States continues to support the efforts 
     of the Government of Colombia for peace, including protection 
     of vulnerable populations such as Indigenous and Afro-
     Colombian communities, support for human rights defenders, 
     provision of greater educational opportunities, increases in 
     public and private investments, especially in rural areas, 
     and respect for human rights and the rule of law;
       Whereas the United States maintains a strong commitment to 
     cooperating with the Government of Colombia to investigate, 
     arrest, and prosecute members of transnational criminal 
     organizations and to dismantle terrorist groups like the ELN, 
     the FARC, and Hezbollah, whose illicit activities, 
     specifically narcotrafficking, devastate the citizens of 
     Colombia and Latin America;
       Whereas, since 2016, the United States has provided more 
     than $1,000,000,000 in direct and indirect support to peace 
     implementation in Colombia;
       Whereas Colombia is an essential partner of the United 
     States in continuing efforts to support the courageous people 
     of Venezuela in their fight for freedom, democracy, and 
     economic prosperity against the dictatorship of Nicolas 
     Maduro by generously hosting and providing aid to nearly 
     1,800,000 citizens of Venezuela as of June 2021 and by 
     providing them essential services such as healthcare and 
     education;
       Whereas, in February 2021, President Duque issued temporary 
     protective status with work authorization to citizens of 
     Venezuela living in Colombia;
       Whereas the leadership of the Government of Colombia during 
     the humanitarian crisis in Venezuela has been critical in 
     organizing regional support for Interim President Juan 
     Guaido, as well as in denouncing the dictatorship of Maduro 
     and helping implement policies to isolate his narcoterrorist 
     regime, specifically through the Lima Group and the 
     Organization of American States;
       Whereas the security situation in Colombia has improved 
     significantly between 2000 and 2021, but the migrant influx 
     from Venezuela and the economic effects of the COVID-19 
     pandemic have hurt the economy of Colombia, creating unique 
     challenges for Colombia that demand action and support from 
     strong democratic allies like the United States;
       Whereas freedom of speech, freedom to peacefully assemble, 
     and other human rights are inalienable, and any acts of 
     excess force against peaceful protesters should be condemned 
     and investigated; and
       Whereas enemies of freedom, such as the communist regime of 
     Raul Castro in Cuba and the Maduro regime in Venezuela, 
     exploit and abuse the vulnerable and individuals simply 
     asking for their voices to be heard by promoting violent 
     unrest, vandalism, and destruction of property: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) declares its firm commitment to Colombia, the strongest 
     ally of the United States in Latin America;
       (2) opposes any effort to undermine the democracy or 
     sovereignty of Colombia;
       (3) encourages the international community to stand for 
     democracy in Colombia and to condemn any efforts to undermine 
     that democracy;
       (4) condemns any regime in any country, such as Cuba, 
     Venezuela, or Iran, that gives aid to terrorist groups in 
     Colombia by providing training, weapons, or funding, or by 
     hosting those groups within the borders of the nation-state;
       (5) strongly condemns the terrorist attack perpetrated on 
     June 15, 2021, and attributed to the National Liberation Army 
     by the Duque administration, against the military base of the 
     30th Army Brigade of Colombia in Cucuta, Colombia, the 
     northeastern border city near Venezuela, where United States 
     soldiers were present, at least 36 people were injured, and 
     infrastructure of the military base was destroyed;
       (6) condemns any blockade of essential goods and services, 
     including imports or transports of medicine or food, and 
     strongly condemns all violence or attacks against innocent 
     citizens of Colombia or their private property or businesses;
       (7) recognizes that a stable and prosperous Colombia serves 
     United States interests in Latin America; and
       (8) reemphasizes the shared democratic values of Colombia 
     and the United States through free and fair elections with 
     the peaceful participation of all political leaders and 
     parties, accompanied by credible local and international 
     observers, including in the presidential elections in 
     Colombia in 2022.

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