FRANCISCO PALMIERI: Chairman Rubio, ranking member Menendez,
members of the subcommittee, thank you
for convening this hearing to discuss Colombia.
Colombia is a strategic U.S. partner
at a critical time who works with us
to advance U.S. national security
and economic prosperity interests in the hemisphere
and around the world.
We are working with the Colombian government
on its efforts to implement its peace accord with the FARC.
Colombia is one of our most willing and capable partners
in the region.
A Colombia at peace will strengthen its ability
to support mutual priorities including
promoting a stable and democratic region,
and carrying narcotics trafficking,
transnational crime, terrorism, and illegal migration.
As conditions deteriorate in Venezuela,
further instability has the potential
for tremendous negative impact on its neighbors
and the region.
The situation in Venezuela carries special risks
for Colombia.
Every day, thousands of Venezuelans
cross the border and return home after purchasing basic goods
in Colombia.
Colombia joined the United States and the OAS member
states in issuing statements offering
to assist the people of Venezuela
in addressing their political, economic,
and humanitarian crises.
We will continue to work with Colombia
and other regional partners to promote
a peaceful democratic resolution to Venezuela's challenges.
As you all know, the Colombian government
finalized the peace accord with the FARC in November 2016.
Colombia has made some important progress
implementing the accord.
Nearly 7,000 FARC rebels peacefully
relocated to 26 UN monitored disarmament zones.
UN Officials confirmed the rebels completed the surrenders
of the fighters individual weapons
June 27, a significant step in the party's ongoing efforts
to implement the accord.
The parties agreed to decommission
more than 900 weapons caches outside the zones
by September 1.
The Colombian government passed key piece accord
implementing legislation including an amnesty
law, a law in political participation,
and laws to set up the special jurisdiction for peace.
The SJP is designed to hold accountable,
those most responsible for war crimes,
crimes against humanity, and gross human rights violations.
Colombia is investing heavily in its own future
and will cover 90% of the peace accord implementation cost.
Our critical contribution will provide
U.S. expertise to enhance the implementation efforts.
Our program in Colombia focuses assistance on security,
the expansion of state institutions,
and presence in former rebel areas
on economic development, humanitarian demining,
and justice services of other support for victims.
We also continue to provide bilateral assistance
to support Colombia's efforts to dismantle
illegal armed groups which have been responsible for violence
against civil society activists.
We are coordinating with the Colombian government
to see how our support can be most helpful.
Our programs will also expand humanitarian demining
operations across the country, supporting the U.S.-Norway led
global demining initiative for Colombia to facilitate rural
economic development, land restitution,
and victims reparations.
We are also making progress in promoting
human rights in Colombia, though,
there are significant challenges.
We are deeply concerned by reports of increased killings
and threats against human rights defenders and social activists.
It is essential to quickly and thoroughly investigate
and prosecute those responsible for these crimes.
We welcome Colombia's recent advances
to prioritize investigations of killings and threats
against human rights defenders and civil society activists.
Concrete results, including the convictions,
are critical to prevent future violence.
The support of the U.S. Congress has
been instrumental to everything the United States has achieved
with Colombia, and your support will
be needed, now more than ever, as Colombia attempts to find
a real and lasting peace.
Chairman Rubio, ranking member Menendez,
members of the subcommittee, thank you,
for the opportunity to meet with you today,
and for your continuing commitment
to helping advance U.S. national security
and economic prosperity in Colombia
and across this entire hemisphere.
I look forward to your questions.