2008-01

Biosimilar Drugs

Senator Antonio Muñoz (IL)

WHEREAS, The nation of Venezuela is emerging as a potential hub of terrorism in the Western Hemisphere, providing assistance to Islamic radicals from the Middle East and other terrorists;

WHEREAS, U.S. officials believe that the Venezuelan government is issuing documents to people who should not be getting them and that some of these credentials are being used to obtain Venezuelan passports and even American visas, which could allow the holders to elude immigration checks and enter the United States;

WHEREAS, Hugo Chavez defies both the UN Security counsel and other international institutions by aiding and abetting terrorists and tacitly allowing the trafficking of drugs through Venezuela;

WHEREAS, Evidence exists of the ties between Hugo Chavez and Raul Reyes, notorious top leader of the Farc in Colombia; and further evidence points to Venezuela in supporting the Farc and other subversive groups in Colombia that are on the official U.S. list of terrorist organizations and are also heavily involved in drug trafficking;

WHEREAS, Evidence exists of Venezuela’s economic support to extremist groups in Latin America and the Caribbean whose mission is to destabilize dully elected, Democratic governments;

WHEREAS, Chavez has forged close ties with Cuba's Fidel Castro and has befriended some of America's other notorious enemies, traveling to Iraq and North Korea;

WHEREAS, drug funding has been found to be used to fund Chavez-backed terrorism by several investigations;

WHEREAS, in 2007, the government of Argentina found $800,000 in Venezuela’s diplomatic pouch, whose purpose was for use in illegally financial support a Presidential campaign;


THEREFORE, be it resolved that Congress should call upon the State Department to investigate the actions of the Chavez regime in order to determine qualification of Venezuela for the state sponsor of terrorism list; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NHCSL calls upon Congress to adopt the findings of HR 375, the Western Hemisphere Counter-Terrorism and Non-Proliferation Act of 2009, introduced by Hon. ILeana Ros-Lehtinen, in regard to Venezuela’s sponsorship of terrorists and extremism; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NHCSL calls upon the US Congress to investigate the activities of the Venezuelan foreign ministry in support of extremist groups and armed movements in Latin America and the activities of the consulate of Venezuela in San Juan, PR in support of Puerto Rican political activists and organizations; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a copy of this resolution be sent to the US Congress and to the President.

This resolution was adopted and ratified at the 2009 NHCSL annual meeting held in Santa Monica, California, November 21, 2009.