Florida 2022 Regular Session

Florida House Bill H1383 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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10	10	F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
11	11	R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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13	13	House Memorial 1
14	14	A memorial to the Congress of the United States, 2
15	15	urging Congress to oppose the Biden Administration's 3
16	16	removal of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia 4
17	17	(FARC) from the United States Department of State's 5
18	18	list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations. 6
19	19	7
20	20	WHEREAS, Colombia is among the oldest standing democracies 8
21	21	in Latin America, and 9
22	22	WHEREAS, the United States established diplomatic relations 10
23	23	with Colombia in 1822, and 11
24	24	WHEREAS, Colombia is a constitutional republic where the 12
25	25	people of Colombia hold the power and elect representatives to 13
26	26	exercise that power, and 14
27	27	WHEREAS, the United States Department of State placed the 15
28	28	Revolutionary Forces of Colombia (FARC) on the list of Foreign 16
29	29	Terrorist Organizations in 1997, and 17
30	30	WHEREAS, after many years of violence and armed conflict, 18
31	31	in 2021, Colombia is the United States' strongest ally in Latin 19
32	32	America, and 20
33	33	WHEREAS, with the support of the United States and the 21
34	34	State of Florida, Colombia has transformed itself from a 22
35	35	volatile and near-failed state in 2001 into a rich democracy 23
36	36	with a growing free market in 2021, and 24
37	37	WHEREAS, May 15, 2022, will mark the 10 -year anniversary of 25 
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46	46	F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
47	47	R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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49	49	the United States-Colombia Trade Promoti on Agreement, which has 26
50	50	supported economic growth and employment opportunities in 27
51	51	Colombia, the United States, and the State of Florida, and 28
52	52	WHEREAS, the State of Florida is responsible for roughly a 29
53	53	quarter of all trade between the United States and Colo mbia, and 30
54	54	WHEREAS, the United States, the State of Florida, and 31
55	55	Colombia share a commitment to promoting security, prosperity, 32
56	56	human rights, and democracy in Colombia and across the Western 33
57	57	Hemisphere, and 34
58	58	WHEREAS, in recent years, the Colombian governme nt has 35
59	59	taken courageous steps to enforce the law, stop drug 36
60	60	traffickers, and rein in foreign terrorist organizations like 37
61	61	the National Liberation Army (ELN) and FARC, and 38
62	62	WHEREAS, the State of Florida continues to support the 39
63	63	efforts of the Colombian gove rnment for peace, its support for 40
64	64	human rights defenders, its provision of greater educational 41
65	65	opportunities, its increases in public and private investments, 42
66	66	and its respect for human rights and the rule of law, and 43
67	67	WHEREAS, the United States maintains a strong commitment to 44
68	68	cooperating with the Colombian government to investigate, 45
69	69	arrest, and prosecute members of transnational criminal 46
70	70	organizations and to dismantle terrorist groups like the ELN, 47
71	71	FARC, and Hezbollah, whose illicit activities, specificall y 48
72	72	narcotrafficking, devastate Colombian and other Latin American 49
73	73	societies, and 50 
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82	82	F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
83	83	R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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85	85	WHEREAS, Colombia is an essential partner with the United 51
86	86	States in continuing efforts to support the courageous people of 52
87	87	Venezuela in their fight for freedom, democracy, and economic 53
88	88	prosperity against the dictatorship of Nicolás Maduro, and 54
89	89	WHEREAS, enemies of freedom, such as the communist regime 55
90	90	in Cuba and the Maduro regime in Venezuela, exploit and abuse 56
91	91	vulnerable individuals and promote violent unrest, vandalism, 57
92	92	and destruction of property against individuals simply asking to 58
93	93	be heard, and 59
94	94	WHEREAS, the Biden Administration revoked the designation 60
95	95	of FARC as a foreign terrorist organization in November 2021, 61
96	96	and 62
97	97	WHEREAS, FARC has murdered, tortured, and kidnapped 63
98	98	innocent Colombians and committed gross violations of human 64
99	99	rights, and 65
100	100	WHEREAS, FARC opposes democratic institutions and those who 66
101	101	have fought for them, and 67
102	102	WHEREAS, FARC has committed and supported terrorism and 68
103	103	continues to do so, and 69
104	104	WHEREAS, the Colombian government later ratified an 70
105	105	agreement with FARC without the approval of the electorate, NOW, 71
106	106	THEREFORE, 72
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108	108	Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 74
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118	118	F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
119	119	R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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121	121	That the Florida House of Representatives declares its firm 76
122	122	commitment to Colombia, the United States' strongest ally in 77
123	123	Latin America, and urges Congress to oppose the Biden 78
124	124	Administration's removal of FARC from the list of Foreign 79
125	125	Terrorist Organizations. 80
126	126	BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Florida House of 81
127	127	Representatives urges Con gress to use all means possible, 82
128	128	including divestiture, to impede ties, commercial or otherwise, 83
129	129	with FARC. 84
130	130	BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be 85
131	131	dispatched to the President of the United States, to the 86
132	132	President of the United States Sena te, to the Speaker of the 87
133	133	United States House of Representatives, and to each member of 88
134	134	the Florida delegation to the United States Congress. 89