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“SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS” mentioning the U.S. Dept of State was published in the Senate section on pages S4549 on June 23, 2015.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS
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SENATE RESOLUTION 208--EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE SENATE REGARDING THE REQUESTED RELEASE OF CONVICTED TERRORIST JUVENAL OVIDIO RICARDO PALMERA
PINEDA, ALSO KNOWN AS ``SIMON TRINIDAD'', FROM PRISON IN THE UNITED
STATES AS A PART OF THE COLOMBIAN PEACE PROCESS
Mr. RUBIO submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations:
S. Res. 208
Whereas the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People's Army (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia--Ejercito del Pueblo (FARC-EP) is a Marxist insurgency group engaged in a bloody civil war with the Government of Colombia;
Whereas FARC-EP has been designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the Department of State since 1997;
Whereas fighting between FARC-EP and the Government of Colombia has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives, including United States citizens, since 1964;
Whereas multiple FARC-EP terrorist have been indicted, captured, and extradited to the United States to face trial for their crimes against United States citizens;
Whereas Juvenal Ovidio Ricardo Palmera Pineda, also known as ``Simon Trinidad'', joined FARC in the 1980s and later became a rebel leader within the FARC-EP;
Whereas, on February 13, 2003, a small Cessna airplane carrying 5 people including a United States pilot named Thomas Janis, a Colombian national, Luis Cruz, and 3 other United States nationals, Marc Gonsalves, Keith Stansell, and Thomas Howes, crashed in Southern Colombia;
Whereas heavily armed FARC-EP guerrillas immediately surrounded the plane and brutally executed Thomas Janis and Luis Cruz, then took the other men hostage;
Whereas, on April 27, 2003, the FARC-EP issued a communique taking credit for the abduction of the three United States nationals, made demands in exchange for the release of the hostages, and appointed ``Simon Trinidad'' the spokesperson and negotiator for the FARC-EP;
Whereas ``Simon Trinidad'' was captured in Ecuador's capital of Quito 8 months later on January 2, 2004;
Whereas ``Simon Trinidad'' was convicted by a court in Colombia for aggravated kidnapping and rebellion and sentenced to 35 years in prison on May 4, 2004;
Whereas ``Simon Trinidad'' was convicted by a United States jury of plotting to hold 3 United States nationals hostage after they were captured in Colombia, and was sentenced to 60 years in prison on January 28, 2008; and
Whereas FARC-EP has reportedly named ``Simon Trinidad'' a member of their Colombian peace negotiating team and made a request for President Barack Obama to release him: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) opposes the FARC-EP's requested release of Juvenal Ovidio Ricardo Palmera Pineda, also known as ``Simon Trinidad'', who was convicted by a United States jury of plotting to hold 3 United States nationals hostage after they were captured in Colombia, and was sentenced to 60 years in prison;
(2) extends deepest sympathies to all family members of the victims of FARC-EP atrocities; and
(3) recognizes this type of action would send a negative message to terrorists groups and undermines the United States judicial system.
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