Howard County Council Resolution in support of Project
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WHEREAS, the indigenous Mayan people of Chiapas, Mexico, who live in great poverty under extremely hazardous living conditions, have been involved in a struggle for democratic rights and survival for many decades; and
WHEREAS, their struggle has been met with increasingly violent repression, which includes the disappearance, torture and killing of unarmed civilians; and
WHEREAS, Mexico receives United States military aid, including training of military officers at the School of the Americas; and
WHEREAS, the U.S. State Department and internationally recognized human rights organizations, such as Amnesty International, have documented human rights abuses by the Mexican army, police and security forces; and
WHEREAS, the Howard County Friends of Latin America (HoCoFoLa), which is an all-volunteer, grassroots, non-profit organization composed of a cross-section of Howard County citizens, has joined other human rights activists, religious leaders and international groups in promoting human rights for the people of Chiapas, Mexico; and
WHEREAS, HoCoFola joins with other human rights advocates to support the presence of human rights monitors in Chiapas and to re-direct aid to Mexico to monitored programs designed to reduce poverty, disease and infant mortality in Chiapas and other similar areas of Mexico, and.
WHEREAS, supporting freedom, democracy and economic prosperity for the people of Chiapas and for all citizens of Mexico is in the best interest of the citizens of the United States and of Howard County.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the County Council of Howard County, Maryland on this 3rd day of May , 1999 that the Council supports the efforts of the Howard County Friends of Latin America (HoCoFoLA) to help safeguard human rights through its Chiapas Partnership Project and to re-direct aid to Mexico to monitored programs designed to reduce poverty, disease and infant mortality in Chiapas and similar areas of Mexico.
AND, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be sent to President William Jefferson Clinton, the members of the Maryland Delegation to the United States Congress and the Howard County Friends of Latin America.