HM 1383 2022
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hm1383-00
Page 1 of 4
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
R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
House Memorial 1
A memorial to the Congress of the United States, 2
urging Congress to oppose the Biden Administration's 3
removal of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia 4
(FARC) from the United States Department of State's 5
list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations. 6
7
WHEREAS, Colombia is among the oldest standing democracies 8
in Latin America, and 9
WHEREAS, the United States established diplomatic relations 10
with Colombia in 1822, and 11
WHEREAS, Colombia is a constitutional republic where the 12
people of Colombia hold the power and elect representatives to 13
exercise that power, and 14
WHEREAS, the United States Department of State placed the 15
Revolutionary Forces of Colombia (FARC) on the list of Foreign 16
Terrorist Organizations in 1997, and 17
WHEREAS, after many years of violence and armed conflict, 18
in 2021, Colombia is the United States' strongest ally in Latin 19
America, and 20
WHEREAS, with the support of the United States and the 21
State of Florida, Colombia has transformed itself from a 22
volatile and near-failed state in 2001 into a rich democracy 23
with a growing free market in 2021, and 24
WHEREAS, May 15, 2022, will mark the 10 -year anniversary of 25
HM 1383 2022
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hm1383-00
Page 2 of 4
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
R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
the United States-Colombia Trade Promoti on Agreement, which has 26
supported economic growth and employment opportunities in 27
Colombia, the United States, and the State of Florida, and 28
WHEREAS, the State of Florida is responsible for roughly a 29
quarter of all trade between the United States and Colo mbia, and 30
WHEREAS, the United States, the State of Florida, and 31
Colombia share a commitment to promoting security, prosperity, 32
human rights, and democracy in Colombia and across the Western 33
Hemisphere, and 34
WHEREAS, in recent years, the Colombian governme nt has 35
taken courageous steps to enforce the law, stop drug 36
traffickers, and rein in foreign terrorist organizations like 37
the National Liberation Army (ELN) and FARC, and 38
WHEREAS, the State of Florida continues to support the 39
efforts of the Colombian gove rnment for peace, its support for 40
human rights defenders, its provision of greater educational 41
opportunities, its increases in public and private investments, 42
and its respect for human rights and the rule of law, and 43
WHEREAS, the United States maintains a strong commitment to 44
cooperating with the Colombian government to investigate, 45
arrest, and prosecute members of transnational criminal 46
organizations and to dismantle terrorist groups like the ELN, 47
FARC, and Hezbollah, whose illicit activities, specificall y 48
narcotrafficking, devastate Colombian and other Latin American 49
societies, and 50
HM 1383 2022
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hm1383-00
Page 3 of 4
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
R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
WHEREAS, Colombia is an essential partner with the United 51
States in continuing efforts to support the courageous people of 52
Venezuela in their fight for freedom, democracy, and economic 53
prosperity against the dictatorship of Nicolás Maduro, and 54
WHEREAS, enemies of freedom, such as the communist regime 55
in Cuba and the Maduro regime in Venezuela, exploit and abuse 56
vulnerable individuals and promote violent unrest, vandalism, 57
and destruction of property against individuals simply asking to 58
be heard, and 59
WHEREAS, the Biden Administration revoked the designation 60
of FARC as a foreign terrorist organization in November 2021, 61
and 62
WHEREAS, FARC has murdered, tortured, and kidnapped 63
innocent Colombians and committed gross violations of human 64
rights, and 65
WHEREAS, FARC opposes democratic institutions and those who 66
have fought for them, and 67
WHEREAS, FARC has committed and supported terrorism and 68
continues to do so, and 69
WHEREAS, the Colombian government later ratified an 70
agreement with FARC without the approval of the electorate, NOW, 71
THEREFORE, 72
73
Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 74
75
HM 1383 2022
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hm1383-00
Page 4 of 4
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
R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
That the Florida House of Representatives declares its firm 76
commitment to Colombia, the United States' strongest ally in 77
Latin America, and urges Congress to oppose the Biden 78
Administration's removal of FARC from the list of Foreign 79
Terrorist Organizations. 80
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Florida House of 81
Representatives urges Con gress to use all means possible, 82
including divestiture, to impede ties, commercial or otherwise, 83
with FARC. 84
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be 85
dispatched to the President of the United States, to the 86
President of the United States Sena te, to the Speaker of the 87
United States House of Representatives, and to each member of 88
the Florida delegation to the United States Congress. 89