IV

105TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. CON. RES. 221

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that a renewed effort

be made by all sides to end the violent guerrilla war in Colombia,

which poses a serious threat to democracy as well as economic and

social stability as evidenced by the recent increase in guerrilla and

paramilitary violence which victimizes public officials and Colombian and

foreign nationals.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

FEBRUARY 12, 1998

Mr. GALLEGLY (for himself and Mr. ACKERMAN) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on International

Relations

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that

a renewed effort be made by all sides to end the violent

guerrilla war in Colombia, which poses a serious threat

to democracy as well as economic and social stability

as evidenced by the recent increase in guerrilla and paramilitary violence which victimizes public officials and Colombian and foreign nationals.

Whereas a brutal campaign of violence, kidnapping, and extortion carried out by the guerrilla movements of the

Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and

the National Liberation Army (ELN) during the October

1997 nationwide municipal elections resulted in at least
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40 political candidates murdered, over 1,900 candidates

forced to abandon their campaigns, 120 candidates reluctantly designated to political office, and 11 municipalities

with no elections at all;

Whereas, in the last six months, paramilitary death squads

have massacred 30 civilians in the town of Mapiripan and

dozens more in Miraflores and further continued the killing spree with an ambush on an entourage of 11 government officials;

Whereas the FARC, designated as a terrorist organization by

the United States Secretary of State, continues to hold

three United States missionaries hostage without any effort to negotiate their release;

Whereas the magnitude of the guerrilla and paramilitary

threat has been intensified by their growing relationship

with narcotics trafficking;

Whereas the surge of new guerrilla and paramilitary violence

has created more than 300,000 refugees over the last

three years;

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

endemic level of violence is now the leading cause of

death in Colombia;

Whereas the guerrillas and the paramilitaries have resisted

all overtures by the Government of Colombia to end the

violence and establish peace;

Whereas 10,000,000 Colombian citizens voted for a mandate

for peace, expressing their discontent with the guerrilla

war and the need for the government to end the conflict;

Whereas in December President Samper called upon the

United States Government to assist in negotiating an end
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to the guerrilla conflict and aid in establishing stability

in the region; and

Whereas the campaign of the guerrillas and the

paramilitaries ultimately poses a major threat to the very

democracy of Colombia: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate

2 concurring), That the Congress—

3 (1) recognizes the importance of the threat of

4 escalating guerrilla and paramilitary violence to Co5 lombia’s democracy and that acts of violence in6 tended to disrupt the electoral process in the Octo7 ber elections could spill over to the upcoming con8 gressional and presidential elections to be held in

9 1998;

10 (2) urges that the guerrilla leaders of the Revo11 lutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and

12 the National Liberation Army (ELN) end the vio13 lence and sever their relationship with narcotics traf14 fickers, negotiate a peace accord with the Govern15 ment of Colombia, and take their agenda into the

16 political arena for debate;

17 (3) calls on the leadership of the (FARC) and

18 the (ELN) to release the United States missionaries

19 being held hostage in Colombia or to fully account

20 for their whereabouts;
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1 (4) urges the Government of Colombia to invig2 orate their efforts to swiftly end the guerrilla conflict

3 which is taking a large toll daily on the stability of

4 Colombian democracy and take greater action

5 against paramilitary units that commit gross human

6 rights violations;

7 (5) calls upon the international community,

8 particularly the Organization of American States, to

9 play a more proactive role in trying to resolve the

10 conflict by encouraging all sides to come back to the

11 peace table; and

12 (6) urges the administration to reevaluate

13 United States policies toward Colombia, taking into

14 account the threat of the guerrilla movement to Co15 lombia’s democracy, and to seriously consider the

16 Government of Columbia’s request for United States

17 assistance in seeking a resolution to the conflict.

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