Bill Text: FL S0160 | 2023 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Redesignation of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) as a Foreign Terrorist Organization
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 2-1)
Status: (Passed) 2023-06-07 - Signed by Officers and filed with Secretary of State [S0160 Detail]
Download: Florida-2023-S0160-Enrolled.html
ENROLLED 2023 Legislature CS for SM 160 2023160er 1 2 A memorial to the United States Department of State, 3 urging the United States Secretary of State to 4 redesignate the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia 5 (FARC) as a Foreign Terrorist Organization pursuant to 6 section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, as 7 amended. 8 9 WHEREAS, Colombia is among the oldest standing democracies 10 in Latin America, and 11 WHEREAS, the United States established diplomatic relations 12 with Colombia in 1822, and 13 WHEREAS, Colombia is a constitutional republic where the 14 people of Colombia hold the power and elect representatives to 15 exercise that power, and 16 WHEREAS, in October 1997, the United States Department of 17 State designated the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia 18 (FARC) as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, and 19 WHEREAS, after many years of violence and armed conflict, 20 Colombia is now the United States’ strongest ally in Latin 21 America, and 22 WHEREAS, with the support of the United States through Plan 23 Colombia and the State of Florida, Colombia has transformed from 24 a volatile and near-failed state in 2001 into a stable and 25 prosperous democracy with a growing free market, and 26 WHEREAS, May 15, 2023, will mark the 11-year anniversary of 27 the effective date of the United States-Colombia Trade Promotion 28 Agreement, which has supported economic growth and employment 29 opportunities in Colombia, the United States, and the State of 30 Florida, and 31 WHEREAS, the State of Florida is responsible for roughly 25 32 percent of all trade between the United States and Colombia, and 33 WHEREAS, the United States, the State of Florida, and 34 Colombia have shared a commitment to promoting security, 35 prosperity, human rights, and democracy in Colombia and across 36 the Western Hemisphere, and 37 WHEREAS, in recent years, the Colombian government has 38 taken courageous steps to enforce the law, stop drug 39 traffickers, and rein in foreign terrorist organizations like 40 the National Liberation Army (ELN) and FARC, and 41 WHEREAS, the State of Florida continues to support the 42 Colombian people in their efforts to preserve peace, support 43 human rights defenders, promote greater educational 44 opportunities, increase public and private investments, and 45 respect human rights and the rule of law, and 46 WHEREAS, the United States maintains a strong commitment to 47 cooperating with Colombia to investigate, arrest, and prosecute 48 members of transnational criminal organizations and to dismantle 49 terrorist groups like the ELN, FARC, and Hezbollah, whose 50 illicit activities, specifically narcotrafficking, for many 51 years devastated Colombia and other Western Hemisphere 52 countries, and 53 WHEREAS, Colombia has been an essential partner to the 54 United States in continuing efforts to support the courageous 55 people of Venezuela in their fight for freedom, democracy, and 56 economic prosperity against the dictatorship of Nicolás Maduro, 57 and 58 WHEREAS, enemies of freedom, such as the communist regime 59 in Cuba and the Maduro regime in Venezuela, exploit and abuse 60 vulnerable individuals and perpetrate human rights abuses, such 61 as torture, arbitrary killings, and imprisonment, while also 62 promoting violent unrest, vandalism, and destruction of property 63 against individuals simply asking to be heard, and 64 WHEREAS, in December 2021, the Biden Administration revoked 65 the designation of the FARC as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, 66 and 67 WHEREAS, the FARC has murdered, tortured, and kidnapped 68 innocent Colombians and Americans, including kidnap victims and 69 United States citizens Marc D. Gonsalves, Thomas R. Howes, and 70 Keith Stansell, as well as American Thomas Janis, who was 71 murdered, and has committed other crimes and gross violations of 72 human rights, and 73 WHEREAS, the FARC subvert democratic institutions and those 74 who defend them, and 75 WHEREAS, the FARC has committed and supported acts of 76 terrorism and continues to do so, and 77 WHEREAS, the Colombian electorate in 2016 defeated a 78 referendum that would have enacted a deal with the FARC, and 79 WHEREAS, the Colombian government later ratified an 80 agreement with the FARC without the approval of the electorate, 81 NOW, THEREFORE, 82 83 Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 84 85 That the Florida Legislature declares its firm commitment 86 to Colombia, a longstanding ally of the United States in Latin 87 America, and opposes the Biden Administration’s revocation of 88 the FARC’s designation as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. 89 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Florida Legislature urges 90 the United States Secretary of State to redesignate the FARC as 91 a Foreign Terrorist Organization. 92 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of State dispatch 93 copies of this memorial to the President of the United States, 94 the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the 95 United States House of Representatives, the United States 96 Secretary of State, and each member of the Florida delegation to 97 the United States Congress.