III 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 24 

Supporting efforts by the Government and people of Colombia to pursue 

peace and regional stability. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 2, 2021 

Mr. CARDIN (for himself and Mr. BLUNT) submitted the following resolution; 

which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Supporting efforts by the Government and people of 

Colombia to pursue peace and regional stability. 

Whereas, in 2016, the Government of Colombia concluded a 

historic peace agreement with the Revolutionary Armed 

Forces of Colombia-People’s Army (FARC–EP) aimed at 

addressing the historical causes of the half-a-century 

armed conflict in Colombia, and the Government of Colombia is currently working to implement that agreement; 

Whereas the Governments and people of the United States 

and Colombia have forged a resolute bond through a 

shared commitment to support peace, human rights, democracy, the rule of law, and security throughout the 

Western Hemisphere and the world, which has been bolstered by the support of hundreds of thousands of ColomVerDate Sep 11 2014 21:38 Feb 03, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR24.IS SR24

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•SRES 24 IS 

bian Americans and their contributions to life in the 

United States; 

Whereas, in 2000, the Government of Colombia achieved a 

national consensus to build state capacity, and the 

United States committed to combat organized crime, 

drugs, and violence through its foreign assistance in support of Plan Colombia; 

Whereas Plan Colombia and its successor, Peace Colombia, 

have received consistent support from each United States 

President since 1999, and from both Democrats and Republicans in the United States Congress; 

Whereas, while the Government of Colombia contributed 

more than 95 percent of funds over the duration of Plan 

Colombia, the political leadership, technical advice, military assistance, and intelligence-sharing role of the 

United States, along with the $11,000,000,000 appropriated by the United States Congress through Plan Colombia and Peace Colombia to combat narcotics trafficking and transnational criminal organizations, 

strengthen democratic governance, promote economic 

growth, and defend human rights, played a key role in 

helping to transform a country on the brink of collapse 

into an increasingly peaceful and prosperous democracy, 

while also safeguarding important United States interests; 

Whereas the Government of Colombia has made major investments and shown strong leadership, often at great cost 

and sacrifice, to consolidate domestic security, socioeconomic development, and the rule of law; 

Whereas, since 2000, levels of crime and violence have decreased significantly in Colombia, with annual per capita 


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•SRES 24 IS 

homicide rates declining from 62 per 100,000 people in 

1999 to a low of 24.5 per 100,000 people in 2015; 

Whereas the alignment of improved security and sound economic policies has translated into steady growth in the 

gross domestic product of Colombia, which increased 

from approximately $86,000,000,000 in 1999 to more 

than $309,000,000,000 in 2017, and led to greater foreign direct investment, which grew from approximately 

$1,500,000,000 in 1999 to one of the highest in Latin 

America at an estimated $14,000,000,000 in 2017; 

Whereas the United States and Colombia enjoy a robust economic relationship, with United States goods and services 

trade with Colombia totaling an estimated 

$36,400,000,000 in 2017, supporting more than 100,000 

jobs in the United States; 

Whereas the Government of Colombia has made impressive 

strides in reducing poverty since 2005, with the poverty 

rate decreasing from 64 percent in 1999 to 27 percent 

in 2017, according to the World Bank; 

Whereas, since 1999, the Government of Colombia has expanded its presence across all 32 territorial departments, 

has contributed to the professionalism of the Colombian 

judiciary, and has improved the capacity of the Army, 

Navy, Air Force, and National Police of Colombia; 

Whereas Colombia is one of the United States most consistent and strategic partners through its support of 

United States diplomatic objectives at the United Nations 

and efforts made in combating transnational organized 

crime and increased security and rule of law abroad; 

Whereas, in 2017, Colombia signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization 


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(NATO) and became the first NATO partner country in 

Latin America; 

Whereas the gains Colombia has made are threatened by an 

escalating crisis in Venezuela, which has led to an influx 

of more than 1,800,000 Venezuelans into Colombia, and 

the need for continued financial support to implement the 

peace agreement; 

Whereas the internal armed conflict victimized all Colombians, including women, children, and Afro-descendant 

and indigenous peoples, resulted in one of the largest 

populations of internally displaced persons in the world, 

and has led to the repeated targeting of leading representatives of civil society, including trade unionists, 

journalists, human rights defenders, and other community activists who remain at grave risk from guerrilla 

groups, successors to paramilitary groups, organized 

criminal organizations, and corrupt officials and individuals; 

Whereas efforts to achieve lasting peace in Colombia must 

address the hardships faced by victims of the armed conflict, including implementing the Law on Victims and 

Restitution of Land of 2011; 

Whereas the prospects for national reconciliation and sustainable peace in Colombia rely on the effective delivery of 

justice for victims of the conflict, long-term solutions for 

individuals who have been displaced, and the ability to 

hold accountable perpetrators of violations of human 

rights and international humanitarian law, particularly 

obligations under Article 3 of the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of 

War, done at Geneva August 12, 1949 (commonly referred to as the ‘‘Fourth Geneva Convention’’); 


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Whereas the work of the Special Jurisdiction for Peace, the 

transitional justice mechanism created for the purpose of 

ensuring accountability in the context of Colombia’s internal armed conflict, is fundamental to the implementation of the peace agreement and the consolidation of 

peace in the country; 

Whereas implementation of the peace agreement faces serious 

challenges, including a dramatic increase of coca cultivation and cocaine production, a spike in violent attacks 

against civilians, including social leaders implementing 

peace agreement programs, and the enormous burden of 

a mass exodus of Venezuelans fleeing the authoritarian 

regime of Nicola ́s Maduro; and 

Whereas, on August 29, 2019, Luciano Marin Arango, also 

known as Iva ́n Ma ́rquez, and Seuxis Herna ́ndez Solarte, 

also known as Jesu ́s Santrich, along with other members 

of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), 

publicly called for the renewal of armed conflict in Colombia and for increased cooperation between the FARC 

and the National Liberation Army (ELN), two organizations that are designated by the United States as foreign 

terrorist organizations under section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1189): Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) reaffirms the steadfast support of the Gov3 ernment and people of the United States for the 

4 people of Colombia in their pursuit of peace and sta5 bility so they can live in a country free of violence, 

6 impunity, injustice, and organized crime; 


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•SRES 24 IS 

1 (2) lauds efforts to bring an end to Colombia’s 

2 internal armed conflict; 

3 (3) commends the work of the United Nations 

4 Verification Mission in Colombia in overseeing the 

5 implementation of the 2016 peace agreement and 

6 the disarmament and reintegration of former com7 batants; 

8 (4) urges authorities in Colombia to hold ac9 countable perpetrators of violations of human rights 

10 and international humanitarian law, particularly ob11 ligations under the Geneva Convention relative to 

12 the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, 

13 done at Geneva August 12, 1949 (commonly re14 ferred to as the ‘‘Fourth Geneva Convention’’); 

15 (5) encourages the Government of Colombia to 

16 protect vulnerable populations who remain at risk in 

17 Colombia, including defenders of human rights, indi18 viduals facing threats due to participation in crop 

19 substitution programs, internally displaced persons, 

20 Afro-descendant and indigenous leaders and commu21 nities, and demobilized combatants; 

22 (6) condemns the assassinations of social lead23 ers and demobilized combatants, and the decision of 

24 certain senior members of the Revolutionary Armed 

25 Forces of Colombia (FARC) to return to arms and 


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1 hostilities and strengthen their alliance with the Na2 tional Liberation Army (ELN), which threatens the 

3 consolidation of lasting peace; 

4 (7) reaffirms the importance of the extradition 

5 treaty between Colombia and the United States as 

6 an important part of the bilateral relationship that 

7 has promoted the interests of justice in both coun8 tries for decades; 

9 (8) encourages the Secretary of State to develop 

10 a comprehensive strategy to assist the Government 

11 of Colombia in managing the impacts of the crisis in 

12 Venezuela while continuing the successful implemen13 tation and sustainability of the peace agreement and 

14 stabilization of territories previously in conflict in 

15 Colombia, and to further strengthen the close bilat16 eral partnership between the United States and Co17 lombia; 

18 (9) reaffirms its commitment to its partnership 

19 with the Government and people of Colombia on 

20 issues of mutual interest, including security, 

21 counter-narcotics cooperation, combating transna22 tional organized crime, ensuring justice for individ23 uals who have caused harm to populations in the 

24 United States and Colombia, reintegration of former 

25 FARC combatants, inclusive economic growth and 


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1 investment with a focus on disadvantaged commu2 nities, health cooperation, and educational and cul3 tural exchanges that strengthen diplomatic relations; 

4 and 

5 (10) commits to furthering the bilateral rela6 tionship between the United States and Colombia by 

7 working with leaders in the public and private sec8 tors, as well as civil society in both countries, to en9 sure that the United States-Colombia relationship 

10 remains a pillar of United States foreign policy in 

11 the Western Hemisphere. 

Æ 


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