III 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 280 

Supporting a stable Colombia and opposing any threat to democracy in 

Colombia. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 17, 2021 

Mr. SCOTT of Florida (for himself and Mr. CRUZ) submitted the following 

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Supporting a stable Colombia and opposing any threat to 

democracy in Colombia. 

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 


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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–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 Iva ́n 

Duque Ma ́rquez 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, 


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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 

Nicola ́s 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; 


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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 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) declares its firm commitment to Colombia, 

3 the strongest ally of the United States in Latin 

4 America; 

5 (2) opposes any effort to undermine the democ6 racy or sovereignty of Colombia; 

7 (3) encourages the international community to 

8 stand for democracy in Colombia and to condemn 

9 any efforts to undermine that democracy; 

10 (4) condemns any regime in any country, such 

11 as Cuba, Venezuela, or Iran, that gives aid to ter12 rorist groups in Colombia by providing training, 


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1 weapons, or funding, or by hosting those groups 

2 within the borders of the nation-state; 

3 (5) strongly condemns the terrorist attack per4 petrated on June 15, 2021, and attributed to the 

5 National Liberation Army by the Duque administra6 tion, against the military base of the 30th Army Bri7 gade of Colombia in Cu ́cuta, Colombia, the north8 eastern border city near Venezuela, where United 

9 States soldiers were present, at least 36 people were 

10 injured, and infrastructure of the military base was 

11 destroyed; 

12 (6) condemns any blockade of essential goods 

13 and services, including imports or transports of med14 icine or food, and strongly condemns all violence or 

15 attacks against innocent citizens of Colombia or 

16 their private property or businesses; 

17 (7) recognizes that a stable and prosperous Co18 lombia serves United States interests in Latin Amer19 ica; and 

20 (8) reemphasizes the shared democratic values 

21 of Colombia and the United States through free and 

22 fair elections with the peaceful participation of all 

23 political leaders and parties, accompanied by credible 


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1 local and international observers, including in the 

2 presidential elections in Colombia in 2022. 

Æ 


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