[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 16] [House] [Pages 23745-23748] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]CONDEMNING KIDNAPPING AND MURDER BY THE REVOLUTIONARY ARMED FORCES OF COLOMBIA OF THREE UNITED STATES CITIZENS Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 181) condemning the kidnapping and murder by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) of 3 United States citizens, Ingrid Washinawatok, Terence Freitas, and Lahe'ena'e Gay. The Clerk read as follows: H. Res. 181 Whereas Ingrid Washinawatok, a member of the Menominee Indian Nation of Wisconsin, Terence Freitas of California, and Lahe'ena'e Gay of Hawaii, were United States citizens involved in an effort to help the U'wa people of northeastern Colombia; Whereas Ms. Washinawatok, Mr. Freitas, and Ms. Gay were kidnapped on February 25, 1999 by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), a group designated a foreign-based terrorist organization by the United States Department of State; Whereas the FARC brutally murdered these 3 innocent United States civilians, whose bodies were discovered March 4, 1999; Whereas this Congress will not tolerate violent acts against United States citizens abroad; Whereas the FARC has a reprehensible history of committing atrocities against both Colombian and United States citizens, including over 1,000 Colombians abducted each year and 4 United States civilians who were seized for a month in 1998; Whereas it is incumbent upon the Government of Colombia to quickly and effectively investigate, arrest, and extradite to the United States those responsible for the murders of Ms. Washinawatok, Mr. Freitas, and Ms. Gay; and Whereas the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is empowered to investigate terrorist acts committed against United States citizens abroad: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives-- (1) decries the murders of Ingrid Washinawatok, Terence Freitas, and Lahe'ena'e Gay; (2) strongly condemns the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC); (3) calls on the Government of Colombia to find, arrest, and extradite to the United States for trial those responsible for the deaths of these United States citizens; and (4) emphasizes the importance of this investigation to the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and urges the FBI to use any and every available resource to see that those who are responsible for the deaths of these United States citizens are swiftly brought to justice. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bereuter) and the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Davis) each will control 20 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bereuter). Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. General Leave Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H. Res. 181. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Nebraska? There was no objection. Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, the distinguished gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Green) and a bipartisan group of cosponsors brought this important resolution before the House. In early March, three Americans were in Colombia trying to help an indigenous group when they were brutally murdered by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). The FARC, designated by the State Department as a foreign-based terrorist group, killed these people in cold blood. These senseless deaths have brought the total of innocent American lives taken in Colombia by the FARC and the National Liberation Army to 15. This resolution will put the House of Representatives on record as condemning this heinous crime and calling for those responsible to be swiftly brought to justice. I urge my colleagues to unanimously support H. Res. 181. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. DAVIS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Guam (Mr. Underwood). Mr. UNDERWOOD. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me the time. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution to condemn the slaying of these three individuals, three Americans. We should be mindful that we should not tolerate the murder of U.S. citizens anywhere in the world. But we should also take this opportunity to remind ourselves of the work of these three individuals, Ingrid Washinawatok, Terence Freitas, and Lahe'ena'e Gay of Hawaii. These three individuals were involved in the work of helping indigenous groups in Colombia. It is entirely appropriate that we draw attention to the efforts on behalf of native groups around the world in this, the international decade of the world's indigenous peoples. While we take the time and the effort to call upon the Colombian Government to exert all effort to make sure [[Page 23746]] that the perpetrators of these heinous crimes be brought to justice, we should also take the time to understand that the work of helping indigenous peoples throughout the world continues on and that we need to support their work. We need to support their work not only individually. And as our hearts go out to the families of these three individuals, we should also remind ourselves and call upon the State Department to continue to support resolutions and actions in support of indigenous groups, particularly in our own State Department's work in the United Nations as declarations are pursued there and in the organization of American States. Again, I rise in very strong support of this resolution. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time. Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Green), the author of the resolution. Mr. GREEN of Wisconsin. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bereuter) for yielding me time. I also want to extend my thanks to the gentleman from New York (Chairman Gilman) for his work on this resolution. I appreciate their support very much. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak in support of H. Res. 181, decrying the murder of these three U.S. citizens in Colombia, particularly Ms. Ingrid Washinawatok, a member of the Menominee Indian Nation in my own congressional district in northeastern Wisconsin. Ingrid deserves our gratitude and admiration. In these times when so many people offer little more than words and wishes, Ingrid walked the walk. She backed up her words and beliefs with constructive action. Time after time, Ingrid put her life on the line for what she believed in, often operating in dangerous, treacherous environments all around the world. She sacrificed throughout her life; and, in the end, she sacrificed her life itself. She was only 42 years old when she died at the hands of terrorists in Colombia. At the time that she was kidnapped, she and her two companions, as was mentioned by my colleague from Guam, were involved in an effort to better the lives of the U'wa people in northeastern Colombia through education. She had a vision, a vision of a better world, and she devoted her life to turning that vision into reality. But her work in Colombia was only the latest example of her devotion to that great vision. She traveled throughout the globe and tried to leave, she and her companions, each place that she worked just a little bit better than when she had first arrived. She is survived by her family and friends both in Wisconsin and in New York. But I think we all will miss her and mourn her, her and her companions, because with their passing, we all lose something. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 181 uses the force of this Congress to decry the murders of Ingrid and Mr. Freitas and Ms. Gay. It was members of FARC who kidnapped these three U.S. citizens. It was members of FARC who killed them just 2 days later. {time} 1530 These actions were reprehensible and they were intolerable. We must send a message today to FARC and other groups who would commit brutal crimes just as this that U.S. citizenship means something, and that the U.S. will not stand for acts of aggression against its citizens anywhere in the world. This resolution also strongly condemns FARC itself for its actions. FARC is a recognized terrorist organization. It has a horrifying history of atrocities, of thuggery. Finally, this resolution calls upon the government of Colombia and our own FBI to expedite and intensify their efforts to find and arrest those responsible. We must find them, if citizenship is going to mean anything, and they must be extradited to the U.S. for a trial. Again, I want to thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman), the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bereuter) and the members of the Committee on International Relations for their support, their work, and their assistance on this. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution to honor the memories of these Americans, to make sure that justice is done, and to protect our citizens abroad in the future. Mr. DAVIS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Hawaii (Mrs. Mink). Mrs. MINK of Hawaii. I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker, I rise in very strong support of this resolution, and I thank the sponsors of this resolution for allowing the House to deliberate on its contents. This resolution condemns the brutal, senseless killings in Colombia of three dedicated activists, one of whom was from my district. Lahe'ena'e Gay was from the big island. We mourn her death, her brutal, senseless murder, as well as that of Ingrid Washinawatok and Terence Freitas. My constituent, Lahe'ena'e Gay, was the founder of Pacific Cultural Conservancy International, and she devoted her life to preserving the cultural identity and integrity of indigenous peoples. She and her two colleagues were on a mission to northeastern Colombia to assess whether they might be able to assist the U'wa people in preserving their heritage in the face of outside influences, development and exploitation. As we all know when we read to our horror on March 4 that the bodies of Ms. Gay, Ms. Washinawatok and Mr. Freitas were found, they had been kidnapped from Bogota and bound and gagged and shot to death and dumped across the border into Venezuela. We have been advised that this was the action of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, FARC as they are known. It was terribly disturbing to me, especially not only because Ms. Gay was from my constituency but I had just returned from a trip with my subcommittee, chaired by the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mica), to visit Colombia and to hear such reassuring words about the progress of the government there regaining control of the country and doing something about the drug trade. And then to come back and learn that this terrible act had been done is truly a crushing defeat of the progress that we had been told had been achieved. So I am pleased that the House has this time this afternoon to consider this resolution and to condemn the actions of these terrorists in Colombia. Mr. DAVIS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I would just like to close before the gentleman from Nebraska does by pointing out what has already been said here today, that the murder of these three American citizens was senseless, brutal and really unforgivable. The FARC has yet to cooperate with Colombian authorities and U.S. officials to help resolve this case. If the FARC is going to persist in its claims to be a credible player in the peace process in Colombia, they need to begin by taking responsibility for their actions, by helping those who are accountable for these atrocities to be brought to justice, and to help send a message to put an end to this type of barbaric behavior in the future. We strongly condemn the actions of the FARC and recommend for the sake of the families of those unfortunate individuals involved as well as for the sake of peace in Colombia that the perpetrators be brought to justice. I strongly urge support of the resolution. Mr. RYAN of Wisconsin. Mr. Speaker, today the House considered H. Res. 181, to condemn the murder of Americans by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia. These victims of the escalating violence in Colombia were from Wisconsin, and I would like to thank my colleague Mark Green for introducing this important resolution. I would also like to bring to your attention another situation in Colombia that hit close to home. This month, we are upon the one-year anniversary of the alleged assassination of Colombian citizen Maria Hoyos. Maria was a close friend of Dr. Frederick and Ronnie Wood and their family that live in the district I serve. Mr. Wood told me about Maria's October 28, 1998, assassination and questioned how the [[Page 23747]] United States could let Colombia, a nation in our own backyard, fall through the cracks of our worldwide effort at helping countries grow both economically and democratically. Maria del Pilar Vallejo de Hoyos came to Kenosha, Wisconsin, for the first time over twenty years ago as an exchange student. She stayed in the Woods' home and has been like a sister to the Woods' three daughters and a general member of the family. Maria returned to Wisconsin several times over the years and kept in touch. During Maria's last trip to Kenosha, her son, Guilermo, was the ring bearer at one of the Woods' daughter's wedding. In Colombia, she had completed law school and had been elected at different times to the Manizales City Council and the Caldas State Assembly. In Colombia, President Andres Pastrana has tried unsuccessfully to negotiate peace between the Marxist rebels (the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the National Liberation Army (ELN)). But the rebels' power and influence in Colombia has grown substantially by collaborating with Colombia's drug-traffickers and the money they provide. This is a symbiotic relationship--the Marxist rebels supply protection for the drug lords in return for the money to arm themselves against the Colombian government. Alarmingly, drug trade in Colombia amounts to between 25 and 35 percent of the country's total exports. From this bounty, the rebel guerrillas have been able to support their war against the Pastrana government. Some estimates put the FARC and ELN control over Colombian territory at 50 percent with significant influence over more than half of the country's municipalities. I am not willing to continue the Administration's policy of throwing more money at Colombia if it is not utilized properly through a well- designed anti-drug strategy. However, both the Administration and Congress have been remiss in their haphazard guidelines for certification, decertification, and national interest waivers in the anti-drug war. Since 1990, Colombia has received almost $1 billion in U.S. anti-drug aid, yet cocaine and heroin production has continued its steady increase. In fact, a June GAO report concluded that Colombia's future cocaine production could jump 50 percent. On top of no relief in sight from future drug production, the country is suffering through its worst recession since the 1930s. The economy is predicted to shrink further by 3.5% in 1999, and the central bank recently allowed the Colombian peso to float, creating instability of the peso against the U.S. dollar. The growing strength of the Marxist rebels and drug trade combined with Colombia's faltering economy and growing income inequalities is a lethal combination. I would like to thank the Speaker for the hard work he has put in to shaping U.S. policy toward Colombia. Through the efforts of Speaker Hastert and other Members, Congress has developed direct ties with the Colombian government and has eclipsed the Clinton Administration's efforts to combat the narco-democracy engulfing Colombia. I strongly support the efforts of Speaker Hastert and Government Reform Chairman Dan Burton, who feel passionately about the war on drugs and the effect it is having on the Colombian people. Both Congress and the Clinton Administration need to look more closely at the problem brewing in Colombia before it threatens Western Hemisphere stability. As I have found out through Dr. Fred Wood in Kenosha, the growing violence in Colombia has already reached my district, and I want to ensure that other upstanding Colombian citizens do not meet Maria Hoyos fate while trying to maintain a legitimate democracy in Colombia. Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, Representative Mark Green of Wisconsin and a bipartisan group of co-sponsors brought this important resolution before our Committee. In early March, three Americans were in Colombia trying to help an indigenous group when they were brutally murdered by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia. The FARC--designated by the State Department as a foreign-based terrorist group--killed these people in cold blood. These senseless deaths have brought the toll of innocent American lives taken in Colombia by the FARC and the National Liberation Army to 15. As of today, 12 Americans are being held hostage by these terrorist groups. Moreover, we still do not know the fate of the longest held captives, Mark Rich, David Mankins and Rich Tenenoff, kidnapped by the FARC in 1993. I have written to Secretary of State Madeleine Albright to ask that the perpetrators of the murder of the three innocent Americans who are the subject of the resolution before us today be included under the Department of State's Counter-terrorism Reward Program. I recently sponsored legislation that increased the reward under this program to $5 million. I hope that widely publicizing this reward in Colombia will speed the arrest and conviction of those responsible for this reprehensible crime. Accordingly, I urge my colleagues to unanimously support H. Res. 181. Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 181, which condemns the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia--known as FARC--for the kidnapping and brutal murder of three American citizens earlier this year. These individuals--including Terence Freitas, whose mother lives in my congressional district--were in Colombia only to provide assistance to the indigenous U'wa people in the northeast part of the country. Although the FARC has admitted that their guerillas abducted and killed the Americans, they have refused to cooperate with Colombian or United States authorities to resolve the case. This important resolution condemns the senseless murders and demands that those responsible for this heinous crime are swiftly brought to justice. As we condemn atrocities committed by the FARC, we must also condemn the numerous extrajudicial killings carried out by Colombian paramilitary forces. The cycle of violence that has consumed Colombia and claimed the lives of these three innocent Americans will end only when all sides agree to lay down their arms and work together to achieve a lasting peace. I urge my colleagues to support the resolution. Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise this afternoon to speak about the disturbing situation in Colombia and the kidnapping and murder of three U.S. citizens, Terence Freitas, Ingrid Washinawatok and Lahe'ena'e Gay. As a long-standing advocate for human rights and nonviolence, the conflict and violence in Colombia is incredibly alarming to me. Terence Freitas, an activist and student at the University of California- Berkeley, was a constituent of mine. Ingrid, Lahe'ena'e and Terence were traveling in Colombia as guests of the U'wa, a traditional indigenous community that is nonviolently fighting to protect their land from United States and Colombian petroleum developers. Last week, along with other members of the House International Relations Committee, I had the opportunity to meet with Colombian President Pastrana. We learned a great deal about his new $7.5 billion plan for ``peace'', economic redevelopment, and counter-drug efforts. It is my understanding that the Clinton administration is expected to ask Congress to fund $1.5 billion of the plan, and that the administration's proposal may call for over half of the funds to support equipment and training for the Colombian police and military. I am very concerned about this inititive. At more than $500 million annually, this would nearly double the amount that our Nation provided to Colombia's security forces in 1999. Some of you may have seen the poignant letter of May 22 written by the mother of Terence Freitas to the editor of the Washington Post. In the letter, Ms. Freitas writes that she has ``watched in disbelief that some have used the murder of her son . . . and his two companions to justify an increase in military aid to Colombian armed forces.'' Ms. Freitas writes that she is distressed that the ideals that her son ``lived and died for--nonviolence, indigenous sovereignty and justice'' have been diminished by those who support militarization in Colombia. I am a cosponsor of this resolution because I believe that those responsible for the murders of Terence, Lahe'ena'e, and Ingrid need to be arrested and brought to trial. At the same time, as we speak out deploring their murders today on the House floor, I also believe that it is crucial to address our Nation's future policy toward Colombia. Any plan, with a focus on increased funding for training the Colombian police and military, is dangerously narrow and counterproductive. In order to truly advance the peace process in Colombia and create stability for all communities in the country, we must attack the root causes for drug trade and violence of the FARC. This requires a more comprehensive policy approach to fund the elements of President Pastrana's plan that support economic development, human rights and an end corruption in the justice system in Colombia. I challenge all of us to examine the proposal of the Colombia Government with this perspective. Ms. Freitas explains that Terence ``clearly understood that the U.S. military and training assistance to Colombia would bring more violence from all sides. She leaves us with the following message, which I would like to convey to all of my colleagues: ``If our Congressional Representatives hear any `wake-up call' following the execution of my son, I urge it to be this: Remember your high standards of justice and peace by refusing to further U.S. military aid to Colombia. [[Page 23748]] Doing the hard work of peace takes a lot more guts than empowering more men with guns.'' Statement of Congresswoman Sheila Jackson-Lee Condemn Colombian Killings (H. Res .181) October 4, 1999 Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 181. This resolution expresses the sense of the House of Representatives which condemns the murders of Ingrid Washinawatok, Terence Freitas, and Lahe'ena'e Gay. On Feb. 25 of this year, three U.S. citizens--Ingrid Washinawatok, a member of the Menominee Indian Nation of Wisconsin, Terence Freitas of California, and Lahe'ena'e Gay of Hawaii--were kidnapped by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), a terrorist and drug trafficking group fighting the government of Colombia. The three were involved in an effort to help the U'wa people of northeastern Colombia. The FARC brutally murdered the three Americans a week later. The resolution strongly condemns the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC); notes the FARC has a reprehensible history of committing atrocities against both Colombian and U.S. citizens; states that Congress will not tolerate violent acts against U.S. citizens abroad. These American activists were involved in humanitarian efforts to assist the U'wa people of northeastern Colombia. Prior to their kidnapping, they spend 2 weeks on the U'wa reservation trying to assist in developing education program using traditional culture, language, and religion. The death of Ingrid Washinawatok marks the first time that a Native North American women died while performing human rights work among native people in South America. FARC, a terrorist organization that has communist ties, has a history of committing atrocities against both Colombian and U.S. citizens. Established in 1966, it is the largest, best-trained, and best-equipped guerilla organization in Colombia. The goal of FARC is to overthrow the Colombian Government and its ruling class. Following the murders, FARC guaranteed that the perpetrators would be punished but refused to turn over the murderers to Colombian or United States officials. H. Res. 181 strongly condemns the actions of FARC and calls for the government of Colombia to arrest and extradite those responsible for the deaths of the three individuals. Moreover, the bill urges the Federal Bureau of Investigation to use every available resource to see that those individuals responsible for the murders are brought to justice. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution. Mr. DAVIS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time. Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, I strongly urge unanimous support for H. Res. 181. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time. The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Miller of Florida). The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bereuter) that the House suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, House Resolution 181. The question was taken. Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays. The yeas and nays were ordered. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be postponed. ____________________