Rubio Urges New U.S. Envoy To The Negotiations With The FARC To Reject FARC's Demands For U.S. To Release Narco-Terrorists

Press Release

U.S. Senator Marco Rubio, the chairman of the Senate's Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Transnational Crime, Civilian Security, Democracy, Human Rights, and Global Women's Issues, today called on the Obama Administration to reaffirm the U.S.'s commitment to longstanding principles of the U.S.-Colombia partnership and to reject requests by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) terrorist group for the U.S. to release its members from U.S. custody.

In a letter to newly appointed Special Envoy for the Colombian Peace Process Bernie Aronson, Rubio recognized that, "the outcome of the ongoing negotiations between the government of Colombia and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) could have serious and long lasting effect on the national security interest of the United States and Colombia."

Rubio asked that the new envoy:

Reaffirm that the United States will not offer or accept the release of any person currently held in the United States, nor will the United States offer to or accept the transfer of said individuals to Colombia;

Reaffirm that the United States will continue to seek access to individuals who are wanted to stand trial in the United States for violations of United States law;
Reaffirm that the United States will continue to support aerial eradication of coca fields; and

Provide regular updates to Congress on the status of the negotiations between the government of Colombia and (FARC) with an assessment of the impact that the negotiations will have on United States national security.

As the Administration's Special Envoy, Aronson is expected to periodically meet with FARC and Colombian negotiators, as well as third party mediators. According to the Administration, his role includes protecting U.S. interests to preserve extradition and coca eradication policies -- and to update the U.S. government on the status of negotiations.

However, according to the Congressional Research Service, "Conceivably, the United States may be asked to consider new policies derived from proposals made at the negotiating table, which might include limiting extradition to the United States of FARC members associated with drug trafficking, or possibly reviewing the FARC's designation as an FTO."

The letter urges Aronson and the Obama Administration to reject this possibility and is similar to an earlier request made by Rubio to President Obama in June 2014.

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