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106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. RES. 24

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives congratulating President

Pastrana and the people of Colombia for moving the peace process

forward and calling on the government and all other parties to the

current conflict in Colombia to end the guerrilla and paramilitary violence

which continues to pose a serious threat to democracy as well as economic

and social stability in Colombia.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JANUARY 19, 1999

Mr. GALLEGLY submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the

Committee on International Relations

RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives congratulating President Pastrana and the people of Colombia for moving the peace process forward and calling

on the government and all other parties to the current

conflict in Colombia to end the guerrilla and paramilitary

violence which continues to pose a serious threat to democracy as well as economic and social stability in Colombia.

Whereas on June 21, 1998, close to eleven million Colombians went to the polls in a clear affirmation of the

democratic process and cast their vote not only for a new

President to lead that nation into the next century but
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for a mandate for peace and for the government to resolve the conflict;

Whereas an estimated 70,000 people have died as a direct result of the internal fighting over the last decade which

has resulted in the deaths associated with the guerrilla

and paramilitary violence as being the leading cause of

death in Colombia;

Whereas the guerrilla and paramilitary violence has created

more than 300,000 refugees over the last three years and

an estimated total of over 1,000,000 Colombians displaced by the violence over the past decade;

Whereas the operations of the Revolutionary Armed Forces

of Colombia (FARC), the National Liberation Army

(ELN) and the various paramilitary units have become

increasingly dependent on and interconnected with the illicit narcotics trade; and

Whereas the continued insurgency of the guerrillas and the

extreme violence of the paramilitaries ultimately poses a

major threat to the very democracy of Colombia and stability of the region: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives—

2 (1) congratulates the people of Colombia for

3 their continued demonstration of support for the

4 democratic process as well as for an end to the in5 ternal conflict plaguing that nation;

6 (2) congratulates President Andres Pastrana

7 for his strong commitment to seek an end to the

8 guerrilla and paramilitary violence in Colombia and

9 for his initiatives to begin a peace process;
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1 (3) urges the guerrilla leaders of the FARC and

2 the ELN, and the leaders of the paramilitary

3 groups, to end the violence, sever their relationships

4 with the narcotics trade, and negotiate a peace ac5 cord with the Government of Colombia which would

6 provide lasting peace, a reaffirmation of the demo7 cratic principles of government, economic and social

8 justice for all Colombians, and an end to the cultiva9 tion, production, and trade of narcotics;

10 (4) calls upon the international community to

11 play a more proactive role in trying to resolve the in12 ternal conflict by encouraging all sides to participate

13 in the peace process; and

14 (5) reaffirms the support of the United States

15 for the peace process in Colombia, commits the

16 United States to assist the Government of Colombia

17 in finding a peaceful resolution to the internal con18 flict, and to continue United States assistance to

19 help strengthen political stability, foster economic

20 growth and combat the drug trade within Colombia,

21 taking into account the threat the guerrilla move22 ment and the drug trade poses to the democracy of

23 Colombia.

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