Congressional Record—Senate S1837
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March 13, 2019 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S1837 use to technology by determining what a the targets of corruption investiga- On a related topic, the Guatemalan good digital footprint and digital citizen are. tions sought to curtail CICIG’s role. Congress is about to debate, for the This program continues to educate both par- Last year, that opposition culminated third and final time, legislation to ents and children about cybersecurity/safety, in President Morales expelling the grant amnesty to former military per- the potential harms and dangers associated with the evolving virtual environment, and CICIG commissioner and subsequently sonnel who are charged with or con- discusses in detail about the responsibility announcing that the agreement estab- victed of war crimes and crimes needed by all ages when it comes to the con- lishing CICIG would be terminated, ef- against humanity. If the amnesty leg- stant influx of technology in our children’s fective immediately. That announce- islation is approved, those serving pris- lives. With the increasing suicide rates, ment was made, without warning, after on sentences will reportedly be re- there is a direct correlation between human months of negotiations between Guate- leased within 24 hours. The Guate- trafficking, cyberbullying, and sexting that malan, UN, and U.S. officials on re- malan Congress has long had a reputa- are negatively impacting society. forms requested by the Morales govern- tion for being corrupt, and absolving DEFINITION OF TERMS ment, which would have established military officers who engaged in hei- Good digital citizen: While online por- the position of Deputy Commissioner nous crimes is clearly a payoff to ob- traying yourself as a positive person and as well as certain reporting and over- struct justice and undermine the rule using appropriate etiquette sight requirements. of law. Good digital footprint: Leaving positive In response to that announcement, as markers when using the internet and social We remember that Guatemala was media sites well as other worrisome trends in Gua- ravaged by three decades of an internal B.E.A.R.: temala, last week Senator CARDIN and armed conflict that included crimes of B = breathe, stop and take a breath before I, along with Representatives TORRES genocide. An estimated 200,000 people, reacting to a situation that may cause you and MCGOVERN, introduced legislation mostly rural Mayan villagers, were negative feelings in the Senate and House entitled the killed, and, according to the United E = explain to the other person or parties ‘‘Guatemala Rule of Law Account- Nations, more than 90 percent of those how the negative behaviors that are being ability Act.’’ Its purpose is to respond killings were committed by the army. portrayed are impacting you personally to the flagrant actions by the Morales A = affirm actions, your choice is to walk The peace accords that ended that dis- away, block the other party on social media, government to subvert the rule of law, aster were never implemented, and for and ignore including its campaign against CICIG. decades, the victims of those crimes R = report the unwanted behavior to a In fact, the Morales government were denied justice. Now the Guate- trusted adult such as parents, teachers, or lacks authority to unilaterally curtail malan Congress, with the support of counselors. an agreement with the United Nations, President Morales, is on the verge of Timeline. Currently, we are involved with a point that was made clear by the UN adding insult to injury by freeing the two Northeast Iowa School Districts. We are Secretary General. CICIG’s mandate few army officers who were sent to using a 7-week program to educate the stu- continues in effect until September prison. If that happens, the Guate- dents in the following grades kindergarten, 2019, at which point it may or may not third, sixth, eighth, and eleventh about the malan Government will join other pa- Be a B.E.A.R. program. Each student has be renewed. However, I am concerned riah governments that fail to uphold completed a pre-test about the different ob- that there are some, including at the their most sacred obligation to provide jectives that are covered in the core cur- UN, who believe CICIG should signifi- security and justice for their citizens. riculum. After completion of the program cantly reduce its activities and, for all there will be a post-test administered to de- intents and purposes, fade into the sun- f termine the learning curve of the students. set. This would mean that, for the re- SAUDI ARABIA Currently, we do not have substantial re- maining 6 months of its current man- sults because of the initiation phase we are date, CICIG personnel would no longer Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, it has in. After the completion of our 7-week pro- attend trials or engage in further in- been more than 5 months since jour- gram we will have results to support our nalist and American resident Jamal statement of intent. vestigations. Essentially, CICIG would Conclusion. By implementing these steps discontinue its public activities and its Khashoggi was tortured and murdered of the Be a B.E.A.R. program with children personnel would be limited to pre- inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. and adults, we can bring positivity and edu- paring for the shutdown that would More than 5 months since the Saudi cation while being safe online. presumably occur in September. Government initially denied it had f This is extremely worrisome for sev- anything to do with Mr. Khashoggi’s eral reasons. First, donors would be disappearance and told the world, in a GUATEMALA paying to simply keep the lights on. calculated and quickly disproven lie, Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, for the Second, CICIG would cease to function that he left the consulate unharmed. past dozen years, the International half a year before the end of its man- As the Saudi Government’s com- Commission against Impunity in Gua- date. This would be an enormous waste plicity became clear, its explanations temala, with financial support from of time and resources that could be became even more convoluted. We were the United States and other countries, used to continue pursuing important told to accept that the operation that has worked in collaboration with Gua- cases and to ensure their proper hand- resulted in Mr. Khashoggi’s death was temala’s Public Ministry. That part- off to the public ministry. Third, it an interrogation gone wrong, carried nership has enabled courageous Guate- would send a terrible message to the out by rogue agents who somehow flew malan prosecutors to investigate and Guatemalan people, especially to the to Istanbul, executed Mr. Khashoggi, bring to trial cases they never could families of the victims. and worked with a local collaborator to have pursued without the international CICIG’s work under Commissioner cover up the crime, all, despite their ‘‘shield’’ and assistance provided by Ivan Velazquez has been important not ties to the highest levels of govern- CICIG. It has also enabled courageous only for Guatemala, but for all of Cen- ment, without the knowledge of the constitutional court magistrates to de- tral America. There are still many Crown Prince. Although Senators—Re- fend Guatemala’s weak judicial insti- cases under investigation. Abandoning publicans and Democrats—who have tutions. In a country where throughout these cases would be a grave mistake. been briefed on the matter found that its history high-ranking public offi- It would signal that the Morales gov- possibility preposterous, President cials, including senior military offi- ernment’s tactics of intimidation and Trump and Secretary Pompeo seemed cers, and corporate elites have enjoyed obstruction of justice paid off. It would ready to accept the Saudi Govern- near total impunity for corrupt acts undermine future anticorruption ef- ment’s lies. and violent crimes, the Guatemalan forts in Guatemala, as well as send a The truth is that, while there is a people finally saw that justice is pos- terrible message to anticorruption ef- mountain of information circulating in sible. fort’s in Honduras and fledgling efforts the press that suggests the Crown Not surprisingly, that collaboration in El Salvador. The United Nations and Prince was involved in the planning encountered fierce opposition from its the international community have a and approval of the assassination of inception. The same high-ranking offi- responsibility to do everything possible Mr. Khashoggi, there are still many cials and elites who feared becoming to prevent this result. unanswered questions. VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:12 Mar 14, 2019 Jkt 089060 PO 00000 Frm 00031 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A13MR6.012 S13MRPT1 SSpencer on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with SENATE S1838 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE March 13, 2019 We know the Saudi Government iden- this murder, the White House will and he remains in prison. In fact, be- tified certain Saudi officials who alleg- share the blame for attempting to fore Mr. Khashoggi was murdered, he edly carried out this murder, but we do cover up the crime and for helping wrote about Dr. Fitaihi’s detention on not know how they were identified, those responsible to evade justice. social media to decry the arbitrary and what these officials were asked, by The administration should also urge repressive trends developing under the whom, and what they have said about the Saudi Government to guarantee a Crown Prince’s rule. Like Jamal the crime, or why some of them were fair and public trial for the men ac- Khashoggi, there is not a shred of evi- brought to trial and others were not. cused of being involved in the killing of dence that Dr. Fitaihi is guilty of any- We know that the Trump administra- Mr.