Kelly Hayes
U.S Sens. Rick Scott and Marco Rubio joined Texas Sen. Ted Cruz in introducing a resolution to reaffirm the country’s commitment to Colombia.
The resolution formally condemns efforts to undermine democracy in Colombia, and encourages the international community to stand with the South American nation.
“The United States and Colombia share a commitment to promoting security, prosperity, human rights and democracy across the Western Hemisphere,” Scott said in a statement. “Colombia is our greatest ally in Latin America and a partner in combatting drug trafficking. Right now, Colombia is supporting more than a million Venezuelan citizens who have fled (Nicolás) Maduro’s murderous regime. They are an invaluable partner in the fight for freedom and democracy across Latin America.”
The resolution also also calls for U.S. support for Colombia in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including providing excess vaccine doses to help Colombia’s economy recover.
“The ongoing situation in Colombia is of grave concern and must be met with international support and solidarity,” Rubio said in a statement. “As members of Foreign Terrorist Organizations, including the ELN and the dissident forces of the FARC, (they) seek to destabilize a democratically elected, pro-American government. (O)ur nation must use all tools available to ensure peace and restore stability.”
The resolution comes after the explosion of a car bomb inside a military base Tuesday in Cúcuta that injured 36 people, including two U.S. military personnel. Colombia’s National Liberation Army (ELN) rebels have denied responsibility for the explosion.
Scott spoke with Colombian President Iván Duque following the attack, in which the Senator offered his support and condolences.
“The violence being perpetrated now in Colombia by ELN and FARC, terrorist organizations backed by the Castro and Maduro regimes, is a disgusting attempt to destabilize Colombia’s democracy,” Scott said. “The violent attacks and blockades threatening the Colombian people and their government are dangerous and reprehensible. Unfortunately, we’ve seen this before — it’s a script written by communist dictators in Cuba. This same unrest — meant to destabilize and undermine democracy — has been occurring in Latin America for decades. We can’t let it continue. I’m proud to stand with Colombia in the fight to defend freedom and democracy, and I encourage every freedom-loving nation to do the same.”
Today, I spoke with Colombian Pres. @IvanDuque to express my condolences & support following the ELN terrorist attack on a military base where U.S. military was present. Colombia is our strongest ally in Latin America & we will never tolerate these attacks against democracy.
— Rick Scott (@SenRickScott) June 17, 2021
U.S. Reps. Mario Diaz-Balart, María Elvira Salazar and Carlos Gimenez will sponsor the resolution in the House.
5 comments
Gregory Stephens
June 19, 2021 at 1:50 pm
Since when have those two been in favor of Democracy?
Luis Amado
June 19, 2021 at 8:30 pm
They don’t. Dimish all the poverty and extreme poverty in Colombia as a leftist strategy to desestabilize Colombia is dangerous and a profound lie, since 2019, people has been in constant agitation due to the high unemployment and economic chaos, covid has deepen that situation and now many people are in the streets desperately looking to be listened, how is posible for this senator (and what kind of favor is receving back) to declare all this bullcrap? a car bomb inside a military base, that was showing a smoke column long enough for many people to record, the car was let in by the base secutiry and then suddenly exploted? the bomb car is owned by an uribist extreme rigth close friend ? all the bomb case is super fishy, now this “delcaration ” comes in? as a matter of a fact, what indeed is happening, is a strong human rigths violation that has been declared by Humans Rigths Watch and many other ong’s around the country, look for it in internet is everywhere, police abuses including more than 40 young people loosing his eye due to the fact that the police is shooting marbles at the faces, police is also being supported by extreme rigth terrorists, who shoot people with real ammunition, more than 300 people are dissapeared and violence increase in the nigths, check out the hashtag #ParoNacional in tweeter and #ColombiaSOS or #SOSColombia to see the live videos taken by the community showing the abuse, this senator has a dark interest in Colombia, the youth here is being killed and profiled by participating in peaceful protests, the youth has been abused for so long and now they say the have nothing to lose so they figth with rocks, police respond with bullets. Check Colombias poverty level online, look whereever you want, you will see that half of this country here lives with less than a dollar a day, people has been hit by poverty and injustice for so long for this corrupt senator to declare “a resolution” to support this government human rigths violations, WE ARE NOT FARC WE ARE NOT GUERRILLA, WE ARE THE PEOPLE , WE NEED JUSTICE.
Ocean Joe
June 21, 2021 at 1:40 pm
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/06/21/colombia-protests-missing-disappeared/
PeterH
June 21, 2021 at 1:42 pm
The focus on the daily street protests in Columbia is simply a distraction from the obvious Republican obstruction to investigating their own Party’s participation in the January 6th attempted coup under to guidance of their Party leader Donald Trump. Join fellow conservatives at the Lincoln Project.
Patrick D Cook
June 21, 2021 at 11:05 pm
“The resolution formally condemns efforts to undermine democracy in Colombia”….. And where were they when the American democracy was being undermined? Oh, thats right, they were egging the under miners on!
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