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[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1483 Introduced in House (IH)]

110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1483

Regarding the recent decision by the President to declare Venezuela and 
  Bolivia as nations that have ``failed demonstrably'' to meet their 
 international commitments to combat the production and trafficking of 
                             illicit drugs.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 23, 2008

    Mr. Burton of Indiana (for himself and Mr. Engel) submitted the 
 following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
                                Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
Regarding the recent decision by the President to declare Venezuela and 
  Bolivia as nations that have ``failed demonstrably'' to meet their 
 international commitments to combat the production and trafficking of 
                             illicit drugs.

Whereas the United States is strongly committed to working with countries in 
        Latin America and the Caribbean that have a shared interest in promoting 
        regional stability;
Whereas the United States is strongly committed to working with countries in 
        Latin America and the Caribbean that are combating the scourge of drugs 
        and the violence and social degradation caused by narcotics trafficking;
Whereas according to the United States Annual Report on the Major Illicit Drug 
        Producing Countries for Fiscal Year 2008, Venezuela and Bolivia, 
        ``failed demonstrably during the previous 12 months to adhere to their 
        obligations under international counternarcotics agreements'';
Whereas earlier this year, a mob of more than 10,000 marched to the gates of the 
        United States Embassy in La Paz;
Whereas United States Agency for International Development workers in the coca 
        producing Chapare region of Bolivia were threatened expulsion by 
        cocalero syndicates endorsed by the Bolivian Government, and 
        subsequently withdrew;
Whereas the United States was forced to withdraw Drug Enforcement Administration 
        agents from the Chapare region of Bolivia;
Whereas the United States as a precautionary measure is withdrawing all Peace 
        Corps volunteers from Bolivia for security concerns;
Whereas Bolivia experienced a 14 percent increase in land used for coca 
        cultivation in 2007 increasing the potential cocaine yield from 115 to 
        as much as 175 metric tons (as estimated by the Drug Enforcement 
        Administration);
Whereas, according to United States Assistant Secretary of State David Johnson's 
        statement to the press on August 12, 2008, increased Bolivian drug 
        cultivation is causing an escalation of drugs flowing into Brazil and 
        Europe;
Whereas Venezuela has complicated efforts by the United States to assist in the 
        fight against drugs by denying entry visas for Drug Enforcement 
        Administration agents;
Whereas more than 250 metric tons of cocaine transit through Venezuela every 
        year;
Whereas in 2007, 17 percent of the documented cocaine flow from South America 
        went through Venezuela, a five-fold increase from the 51 metric tons 
        estimated to have flowed through Venezuela in 2002; and
Whereas the recent expulsion of United States ambassadors from Venezuela and 
        Bolivia was both provocative and unjustified and hinders 
        counternarcotics cooperation between the United States and these 
        countries: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That--
            (1) the House of Representatives--
                    (A) expresses its outrage over the expulsions of 
                United States Ambassador to Venezuela Patrick Duddy and 
                the United States Ambassador to Bolivia Philip 
                Goldberg, two first-rate career diplomats;
                    (B) strongly condemns the actions and inactions of 
                the Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela 
                and the Republic of Bolivia in ``failing demonstrably 
                during the previous 12 months to adhere to their 
                obligations under international counternarcotics 
                agreements'';
                    (C) calls on the Government of the Bolivarian 
                Republic of Venezuela and the Republic of Bolivia to 
                support alternative development efforts that help coca 
                farmers shift away from illicit crop production; and
                    (D) calls on the Governments of the Bolivarian 
                Republic of Venezuela and the Republic of Bolivia to 
                resume full counternarcotics cooperation with the 
                United States in the interest of stability and 
                prosperity for the people of Venezuela and Bolivia, 
                without delay; and
            (2) it is the sense of the House of Representatives that--
                    (A) it should continue to be the policy of the 
                United States to work with all countries in the Andean 
                region to combat trafficking in narcotics and other 
                controlled substances; and
                    (B) steps should be taken to restore full 
                cooperation between Venezuela, Bolivia, and the United 
                States Drug Enforcement Administration.
                                 <all>
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