A concurrent resolution recognizing the decades-long effort of pro-democracy forces in Chile to end the dictatorship and restore civilian governance in the country.

Bill: 118-sconres-20
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Sanders, Bernard [I-VT]
Introduced: 2023-09-21
Policy area: International Affairs
Latest action: action_date: 2023-09-21
text: Referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations. (text: CR S4662)

Summaries:
action_date: 2023-09-21
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p>This concurrent resolution recognizes the efforts of pro-democracy forces in Chile and applauds the Chilean people for rebuilding a strong and resilient democracy.</p> <p> </p>

tv_txt: III 118th CONGRESS 1st Session S. CON. RES. 20 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES September 21, 2023 Mr. Sanders (for himself, Mr. Kaine , Mr. Murphy , Mr. Merkley , and Mr. Cardin ) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations CONCURRENT RESOLUTION Recognizing the decades-long effort of pro-democracy forces in Chile to end the dictatorship and restore civilian governance in the country.

Whereas nations around the world are confronting the challenge of strengthening the institutions of democracy against the dire threat of authoritarianism; Whereas Chile is a strategic partner of the United States, and the bilateral relationship, which includes cooperation on economic, environmental, defense, and human rights issues, is predicated on a shared commitment to democratic values, including absolute respect for free and fair elections; Whereas Chile is commemorating the 50th anniversary of the bloody military coup d’état of September 11, 1973; Whereas, as part of that commemoration, the Congress of Chile has overwhelmingly passed a resolution requesting the declassification of United States records related to the coup and its aftermath; Whereas, after the democratic election of the Popular Unity Party candidate, Salvador Allende, in September 1970, according to reports in 1975 by the United States Senate Select Committee to Study Governmental Operations with Respect to Intelligence Activities, President Richard Nixon ordered the Central Intelligence Agency to make the economy scream and covertly block the inauguration of Allende through instigation of a military coup, an operation that led to the assassination of the pro-constitution commander in chief of the army of Chile, General René Schneider, in a failed kidnapping attempt supported by the Central Intelligence Agency; Whereas, under the supervision of then-national security adviser Henry Kissinger, the Central Intelligence Agency continued its efforts to foster a coup climate in Chile and, in Kissinger’s own words to Nixon, created the conditions as great as possible for the military takeover; Whereas the United States provided active support, including assistance from the Central Intelligence Agency, for the creation of the repressive intelligence directorate of Chile; Whereas then-Secretary of State Henry Kissinger told coup leader General Augusto Pinochet in a private meeting, We want to help, not undermine you. You did a great service to the West in overthrowing Allende. ; Whereas the rampant human rights violations committed by the military regime of Pinochet led to an estimated 40,000 people tortured and more than 3,000 killed, including the murder of United States citizens in Chile and targeted assassinations of political opponents in the United States; and Whereas the United States Congress played a critical role in bringing to light the atrocities committed by the Pinochet regime against the Chilean people, and growing congressional awareness of the role of the United States in the 1973 coup and ongoing United States support for the Pinochet regime led to the creation in 1977 of what is now the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor of the Department of State, charged with the mission of ensuring the centrality of human rights in United States foreign policy: Now, therefore, be it

That Congress— (1) recognizes the decades-long effort of the pro-democracy forces of Chile that, with support from human rights movements in the United States and around the world, ended the dictatorship and restored civilian governance in Chile; (2) applauds the Chilean people for rebuilding a strong and resilient democracy against the forces of authoritarianism; (3) expresses profound regret for the United States contribution to destabilizing Chile’s political institutions and constitutional processes and for United States assistance in the consolidation of the repressive military dictatorship of General Pinochet, and believes that full accountability requires a full accounting in the form of disclosure and declassification of remaining United States records relating to events leading up to, during, and after the military coup of 50 years ago; (4) will continue to engage with the Chilean people to participate in truth and reconciliation efforts and continue the shared bilateral commitment to strengthen democratic government institutions confronted with the current and ever-changing threats against democracy around the world; and (5) emphasizes that support for human rights is and should remain a key pillar of United States foreign policy everywhere in the world.