Rep. Ruben Gallego Leads Bipartisan Letter of Support for Colombia Peace Process
Washington, DC – Today, Rep. Ruben Gallego sent a letter to Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos to congratulate him for concluding the peace accord with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and to express support for continued American assistance to Colombia as the government begins the difficult work of implementing the agreement.
The full letter can be found here.
The letter was signed by 63 Members of Congress: Reps. Gallego, Byrne, Rooney, Poe, Issa, Gosar, Buddy Carter, Engel, Lowey, Adam Smith, Conyers, McGovern, Farr, Hank Johnson, McDermott, Cicilline, Pocan, Keating, Wasserman Schultz, Dingell, Crowley, Serrano, Ruppersberger, Torres, Beyer, Takano, David Price, Honda, DeFazio, Norton, DeSaulnier, Yarmuth, Castor, Schakowsky, Hastings, Lowenthal, Cardenas, Frankel, Cartwright, Israel, Van Hollen, Lee, Edwards, Meeks, Castro, Garamendi, Capuano, Titus, Waters, Polis, Gutierrez, Watson Coleman, Deutch, Grayson, Himes, Linda Sanchez, Doggett, Welch, Pingree, Ellison, Grijalva, Rush, and O’Rourke.
Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) said, “The historic peace agreement signed this week will put an end to suffering and violence that the people of Colombia have endured for over half a century. But significant challenges remain, and Congress must support Colombia during the implementation and reconciliation process. At this critical moment, Democrats and Republicans should come together to ensure that America is just as committed to helping Colombia secure peace as we were to helping Colombia wage war.”
Rep. Bradley Byrne (R-AL) said, “I applaud the signing of the Colombia peace agreement. This is a major achievement and a significant step toward peace and stability in the region. Colombia is a strong partner of the United States, and I am committed to continuing to support our neighbors in Colombia as the process moves forward.”
“We are happy to see bipartisan U.S. Congressional support for the Colombia’s peace accord and commitment by U.S. lawmakers to provide robust assistance as post-accord implementation moves forward,” said Gimena Sanchez, Senior Associate, Washington Office on Latin America.
“The peace accords offer Colombians a second chance on this earth: to build a nation in which ideas are defended with words, not weapons. The United States should stand by and support Colombia as it implements these accords so that a just and lasting peace takes root,” said Lisa Haugaard, Executive Director, Latin America Working Group.