Speech by Rep. José Serrano (D-New York), March 6, 2002

Speech by Rep. José Serrano (D-New York), March 6, 2002

Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my opposition to this resolution on Colombia. I am troubled as to why we are voting on this resolution today. It concerns me that the purpose of this resolution is for the Congress to give this administration the green light to become more heavily involved in the civil war in Columbia.

I have the utmost respect for President Pastrana, but at the same time I am not in favor of expanding our involvement in Columbia by using our response to the terrorism threat after September 11 as a justification to participate in Columbia's civil war. The FARC might be on the terrorist list, but the reasons that have been given for our involvement in Colombia have been counternarcotics and not counterterrorism. I do not want to erase this important distinction.

Mr. Speaker, I read the Spanish press, and let me assure you that in Latin America and in my congressional district the support does not exist for having the United States exert its military power in Columbia. There are atrocities committed on all sides of this conflict.

Today, Secretary Powell testified before the Commerce, Justice, State and Judiciary Subcommittee, on which I am the ranking member, and I told him that I understand that drug trafficking is a problem in Columbia, but that has never before been a reason to send American troops. Let me be clear that the new threat of terrorism is not and never should be a reason to change our policy toward Columbia.

As of March 7, 2002, this document was also available online at http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/B?r107:@FIELD(FLD003+h)+@FIELD(DDATE+20020306)